28GHz Subway Wi-Fi Continues with 'Ieum5G' Despite Cancellation of Allocation to Three Major Carriers

Ministry of Science and ICT Revises Announcement on Allocation of Ieum 5G Frequencies

The 28㎓ subway Wi-Fi, which was scheduled to end due to the cancellation of the 28㎓ frequency allocation for 5G by the three mobile carriers, will continue to be promoted using I-eum 5G (5G specialized network).

On the 29th, the Ministry of Science and ICT announced that it will revise the I-eum 5G frequency allocation notice as of December 1 to allow mobile carriers to provide subway Wi-Fi services using the 28㎓ band as backhaul with the I-eum 5G frequency.

[Image source=Yonhap News]

The existing allocation notice restricted the allocation of the I-eum 5G frequency band to the three mobile carriers, but this will be partially allowed.

Since June 2021, the Ministry of Science and ICT and the three mobile carriers have been conducting a demonstration project to improve the poor subway Wi-Fi inside train cars on the Seongsu branch of Seoul Subway Line 2 by using the 28㎓ band as backhaul. After confirming the Wi-Fi performance improvement, they decided in November of the same year to establish 28㎓ backhaul Wi-Fi services on Seoul Subway Lines 2 and 5 to 8.

However, due to negligence in network construction obligations by the three carriers, KT and LG Uplus had their 28㎓ band frequency allocations canceled in December last year, and SK Telecom in May this year. Nevertheless, despite the cancellation, the three carriers hoped to continue the subway Wi-Fi service using the 28㎓ band, and the Ministry of Science and ICT allowed them to use the previously allocated frequencies in the subway sections only until the original allocation end date at the end of November this year. Since no operator emerged to continue the business thereafter, the 28㎓ subway Wi-Fi faced a crossroads regarding its survival.

The Ministry of Science and ICT reviewed alternatives to ensure service continuity even after the cancellation of the 28㎓ allocation. In July this year, the 'Telecommunications Market Competition Promotion Plan' proposed utilizing the I-eum 5G band, which is the same 28㎓ band, as a policy direction.

The Ministry of Science and ICT stated, "Considering the social responsibility of mobile carriers and based on the accumulated expertise in telecommunications networks, we have revised the I-eum 5G frequency allocation notice to enable the construction and provision of subway Wi-Fi services based on the 28㎓ band."

However, even with this revision of the allocation notice, mobile carriers will not be able to enter the entire I-eum 5G market by using all I-eum 5G bands (4.7㎓, 28㎓). The Ministry of Science and ICT plans to revise the I-eum 5G (5G specialized network) frequency allocation notice to allow carriers to use only the 28㎓ band frequency specifically for subway Wi-Fi services.

Choi Woo-hyuk, Director of the Radio Policy Bureau at the Ministry of Science and ICT, said, "With this revision of the allocation notice, a regulatory foundation has been established to improve the subway Wi-Fi environment through the I-eum 5G 28㎓ band," and added, "We hope that the active investment in the 28㎓ band by mobile carriers will lead to enhanced public convenience."

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