S. Korean telecom firms set to launch low-budget 5G mobile plans
- 5 years ago
As Korea prepares to become the first country in the world..... to commercialize the 5G network,... there has been a debate over just how much operators should charge consumers for it.
Oh Soo-young reports.
South Korean telecom companies are expected launch an affordable monthly plan for 5G users on a budget.
Ahead of the country's launch of the super-fast mobile network in early April,... SK Telecom on Monday submitted a monthly payment plan to the science ministry.
The network operator reportedly offered an extra low-budget plan ranging between 44 to 50 U.S. dollars a month.
This comes after the company's initial price list was rejected by the ministry,... as it only proposed monthly plans that start at around 66 U.S. dollars,... around thirty to fourty percent higher than average rates for LTE.
Telecom companies say rising costs for 5G infrastructure,... which they're expanding across the country,... give them no choice but to raise prices for consumers.
However, consumer groups have strongly protested the move,... saying that the range of options are too limited and that expensive 5G handsets are already a burden.
The low-cost option offered by SK perhaps offers a middle ground.
However,... with limited data usage,... expected to be under 10 gigabytes,... experts doubt the package will be attractive or even effective in supporting 5G usage,... which is likely to require three to four times as much data.
Still, the proposed monthly plans are deemed to be more affordable than U.S. telecom firm Verizon's price list,... which starts from 85 dollars a month.
Verizon's most expensive plan,... at 105 dollars,... offers a maximum of 75 gigabytes,... far less than SK Telecom's 66 dollar plan which would provide double that amount.
Industry experts say South Korea's three main network operators are likely to confirm their price lists within the week,... before Samsung Electronics launches its 5G handset next Friday,... starting the era of commercial 5G in Korea.
Oh Soo-young, Arirang News.
Oh Soo-young reports.
South Korean telecom companies are expected launch an affordable monthly plan for 5G users on a budget.
Ahead of the country's launch of the super-fast mobile network in early April,... SK Telecom on Monday submitted a monthly payment plan to the science ministry.
The network operator reportedly offered an extra low-budget plan ranging between 44 to 50 U.S. dollars a month.
This comes after the company's initial price list was rejected by the ministry,... as it only proposed monthly plans that start at around 66 U.S. dollars,... around thirty to fourty percent higher than average rates for LTE.
Telecom companies say rising costs for 5G infrastructure,... which they're expanding across the country,... give them no choice but to raise prices for consumers.
However, consumer groups have strongly protested the move,... saying that the range of options are too limited and that expensive 5G handsets are already a burden.
The low-cost option offered by SK perhaps offers a middle ground.
However,... with limited data usage,... expected to be under 10 gigabytes,... experts doubt the package will be attractive or even effective in supporting 5G usage,... which is likely to require three to four times as much data.
Still, the proposed monthly plans are deemed to be more affordable than U.S. telecom firm Verizon's price list,... which starts from 85 dollars a month.
Verizon's most expensive plan,... at 105 dollars,... offers a maximum of 75 gigabytes,... far less than SK Telecom's 66 dollar plan which would provide double that amount.
Industry experts say South Korea's three main network operators are likely to confirm their price lists within the week,... before Samsung Electronics launches its 5G handset next Friday,... starting the era of commercial 5G in Korea.
Oh Soo-young, Arirang News.