S. Korea to lead global 5G industry: ICT minister

SEOUL, April 4 (Yonhap) -- South Korea's ICT Minister Yoo Young-min said Thursday that the local launch of the world's first 5G network service will help the country lead the sector going forward.

The country's three mobile carriers -- SK Telecom Co., KT Corp. and LG Uplus Inc. -- kicked off full-fledged 5G mobile service at 11 p.m. on Wednesday.

"All the government efforts will be focused on this service that will allow the country to become a 5G powerhouse," Yoo said in a press release.

The ICT ministry has been working closely with the three firms to establish faster and more stable data processing that far exceeds the existing 4G network, or long-term evolution (LTE).

"I deeply appreciate all the effort and sacrifice that went into this by all related parties from the industry to academia," the policymaker said, adding that the 5G technology will lead to more cutting-edge technology such as autonomous driving and even the use of holograms.

The three telecom firms originally planned to start their 5G services on Friday, but they decided to move up the date following speculation that U.S. mobile carrier Verizon may start its 5G services on Thursday.

khj@yna.co.kr
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