South Korea targets wider 5G tariff options

South Korea targets wider 5G tariff options

South Korea’s Minister of Science and ICT Lee Jong-ho urged the country’s operators to introduce mid-tier 5G data plans during a meeting with company chiefs where he also revealed aims to improve coverage and up tech development.

During the politician’s first meeting with the CEOs of SK Telecom, KT and LG Uplus since taking the role earlier this year, Lee outlined a number of proposed policy areas based around improvements to infrastructure and affordability for consumers.

In a statement outlining discussion points, the ministry highlighted a request for so-called “intermediate rate plans” for 5G with Lee noting current operator offers were limited to small or large allocations.

LG Uplus, for example, advertises SIM-only plans offering either less than 12GB of 5G data or more than 150GB.

He added “active efforts” were needed to create a “5G rate system that meets user demand”, noting current pressure on consumer spending.

Beyond tariffs, Lee emphasised a need for continual investment to expand 5G availability in rural areas, create an open ecosystem and further develop digital technologies including AI.

Referring to a network outage which caused major issues in Japan earlier this month, the minister urged operators to be “vigilant to strengthen communication network stability” and “strictly implement network operation management.”


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