Unable to Use 5G 28GHz with Galaxy S23... Indefinite Delay in 28GHz Commercialization

-Galaxy S23 Released in the US and Japan Equipped with 28GHz Antenna
- "28GHz Band Frequency Infrastructure Not Properly Established Domestically"
- No 28GHz Supported Devices Among Domestic Releases

[Asia Economy Reporter Kang Nahum] It has been revealed that Samsung Electronics' flagship smartphone Galaxy S23 does not have an antenna for the 5G ultra-high frequency 28 GHz band. Consumers usually purchase smartphones through 2-3 year contract agreements with mobile carriers. If the latest 5G service using the 28 GHz band is commercialized within three years, Galaxy S23 users will not be able to enjoy this benefit.

According to the specifications of the Galaxy S23 released domestically by Samsung Electronics on the 7th, the supported network lists NR Sub-6 TDD. Here, Sub-6 refers to the mid-band of 3 GHz to 6 GHz, targeting the domestic 5G '3.5 GHz' frequency. It does not support the 28 GHz high-frequency band, which is said to be 20 times faster than LTE.

Usually, whether a band is supported is determined through negotiations between device manufacturers and telecom carriers. Seeing that even the Galaxy S23, a top-spec smartphone in Korea, does not have an antenna for the 28 GHz band, it suggests that the possibility of supporting this band domestically within this year is slim.

A Samsung Electronics official explained, "The 28 GHz band infrastructure has not yet been properly established in Korea, so we did not equip the antenna for 28 GHz. However, models with this antenna will be released in countries like the United States and Japan where commercialization has begun."

The Problem is the Stagnant 28 GHz Infrastructure

In Korea, the Ministry of Science and ICT has been retreating from the 28 GHz infrastructure build-out by canceling the 5G 28 GHz frequency allocations for LG Uplus and KT, and shortening the usage period by six months for SK Telecom.

The ultra-high frequency 28 GHz has a shorter radio wave reach than 3.5 GHz and has poorer diffraction (bending of radio waves) and penetration (ability to pass through materials), requiring densely built base stations. Naturally, this increases facility investment costs. This has been a reason why the three major telecom companies have hesitated to invest.

As a follow-up to canceling the 28 GHz frequency allocated to KT and LG Uplus, the Ministry of Science and ICT offered an exclusive 800 MHz bandwidth of the 28 GHz band for three years to new operators and reduced the allocation fees, presenting unprecedented conditions to enable the establishment of a 'fourth mobile carrier.' However, there are not many companies capable of handling the initial capital of around 300 billion KRW, making the situation difficult.

For now, the Ministry plans to complete the reassignment procedure in advance so that SK Telecom can use the 28 GHz band frequency from June 1 if it completes the originally allocated 15,000 base stations by May 31 this year, ensuring no disruption in business continuity.

[Image source=Yonhap News]

No Devices Support the 28 GHz Band

The problem is that there are no devices that can use this band, including the Galaxy S23. According to Rep. Byun Jae-il of the Democratic Party, a member of the National Assembly's Science, ICT, Broadcasting and Communications Committee, no devices supporting the 28 GHz band frequency have been released domestically since the commercialization of 5G in 2019.

On the other hand, during the same period, all Apple models released in the United States support the 28 GHz band. Samsung Electronics supported the 28 GHz band in 23 out of 27 phone models released in the U.S., excluding 4 models, and in Japan, 7 out of 19 phone models released since 2019 also support 28 GHz.

Regarding this, Rep. Byun pointed out at last year's Ministry of Science and ICT audit, "If the 28 GHz infrastructure is built starting at the end of this year, 5G devices distributed so far will not be able to make calls on 28 GHz band base stations," and added, "The government and operators should take responsibility for selling devices without properly informing the public of this fact."

At that time, the Ministry of Science and ICT stated in explanatory materials, "When additional 28 GHz band base stations are built and related services appear in the future, new 5G devices supporting both the 3.5 GHz and 28 GHz bands will be released."

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