[2020 National Audit] Choi Ki-young: "28GHz Band, Considering B2B Rather Than Nationwide Service"

[Image source=Yonhap News]

[Asia Economy Reporter Seol Gina Cho] Choi Ki-young, Minister of Science and ICT, stated on the 7th, "The 28GHz band is not intended for nationwide service," adding, "It can be shifted to business-to-business (B2B) or specific services."

At the National Assembly Science, ICT, Broadcasting and Communications Committee (Science Committee) audit on the same day, Minister Choi responded to a question from Yoon Young-chan of the Democratic Party, who emphasized the need for clear selection and concentration considering the characteristics of the 28GHz band, saying, "I agree." He explained, "(The 28GHz band) is being considered for use with small cells to provide good service only within certain areas," and "We are mostly thinking of it as B2B and are actually promoting it with companies."

The 28GHz band network, which secures a bandwidth ten times wider than the 3.5GHz band, is regarded as essential infrastructure to realize the Fourth Industrial Revolution era, including smart factories and smart cities. However, due to the nature of radio waves, it suffers significant loss even in everyday situations, and its service coverage is only about 10-15% compared to 3.5GHz, so it has been evaluated as suitable for B2B-centered use.

On the same day, Representative Yoon pointed out these characteristics, saying, "The U.S. Defense Innovation Board also recommended shifting 5G investment strategy from the 28GHz band to sub-6 frequencies. We need to carefully observe the global standardization trends," and added, "We must clearly acknowledge the limitations of the 28GHz band and accordingly establish a new strategy that suits us."

This content was produced with the assistance of AI translation services.