Hwang Hyun-sik, CEO of LG Uplus, "Rural Shared Investment Will Progress Quite Rapidly"

CEO Meeting Between Korea Communications Commission and Three Major Telecom Operators Held on the 15th

Hwang Hyun-sik, CEO of LG Uplus, is answering questions from reporters before attending the Korea Communications Commission and the three major mobile carriers' CEO meeting held at the Press Center in Seoul on the afternoon of the 15th.

[Asia Economy Reporter Cha Min-young] "We plan to proceed with joint 5G investments in rural fishing villages quite quickly."

Hwang Hyun-sik, CEO of LG Uplus, gave this response to reporters before attending the Korea Communications Commission (KCC) and the three mobile carriers' CEOs meeting held at the Seoul Press Center on the afternoon of the 15th when asked about 5G investments.

Regarding the question about improving 5G quality, CEO Hwang explained, "I had an opportunity to inform the KCC Chairman about the previous CAPEX (capital expenditure) plan, and we intend to faithfully follow and gradually increase it," adding, "CAPEX tends to decrease slightly after the first year."

The issue of 5G quality continues to be controversial. Especially as the expansion of 5G networks in rural fishing villages has been pointed out, the three mobile carriers proposed a joint 5G network construction plan for rural fishing villages last April. The plan divides regions so that one carrier builds the 5G network, and the other two carriers connect via roaming. Through joint construction and usage, network investment costs can be reduced while expanding the 5G network.

When asked about plans to reduce household communication expenses, he briefly replied, "I have not heard anything related to that yet."

The meeting was arranged to mark the first anniversary of the 5th KCC's launch, to discuss major broadcasting and communication issues, and to hear opinions from the industry, with representatives from the three carriers (SK Telecom, KT, LG Uplus) and KCC Chairman Han Sang-hyuk.

Chairman Han Sang-hyuk discussed various broadcasting and communication policy issues amid ongoing difficulties in the people's economy due to COVID-19, including ▲support for small retail stores and partner companies ▲strengthening user protection in the intelligent information society ▲reducing household communication expenses ▲revitalizing broadcasting and communication services.

He also urged the three carriers to help the public feel the reduction in communication costs by expanding publicly announced subsidies, as the increase in high-priced devices could lead to a heavier household communication cost burden. He requested strengthening win-win cooperation between large and small businesses and efforts to create jobs and expand educational support for youth.

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