https://venturebeat.com/2019/03/07/...ial-5g-service-over-phone-and-carrier-issues/
South Korea delays commercial 5G service over phone and carrier issues
Jeremy Horwitz@horwitz March 7, 2019 7:30 AM
Above: SK Telecom and BMW show a connected car running on a 5G network.
Image Credit: VentureBeat/Chris O'Brien
South Korea’s government rushed the country’s top cellular carriers to launch “commercial” 5G networks last year, but as of now 5G phones and services still aren’t available to consumers, the Korea Herald reports today. Consequently, the government expects carriers to miss a March deadline for bringing actual 5G service to customers, instead starting in April — assuming the devices and service plans are ready.
If you’ve been following South Korea’s efforts to become one of the world’s first countries with 5G, today’s developments may or may not come as a surprise. Following Verizon’s launch of the world’s first consumer 5G service on October 1, South Korea’s government rallied carriers SK Telecom, LG Uplus, and KT to open their 5G networks with a nationally broadcast event on December 1. But there were no actual 5G devices for Korean customers to purchase, making the supposedly “commercial” launch more theoretical than practical.
Recommended videos
Powered by AnyClip
Now the government says its commercial 5G launch is being held up by the lack of “quality” 5G devices and reasonable 5G service plans. “We determined that it is much more desirable to wait until 5G smartphones’ quality will become secure,” South Korean lead ICT ministry planner Chun Sung-bae told the Herald. “There is still a chance for 5G rollout in March, but it is not high.”
According to the report, the release of LG’s V50 ThinQ 5G smartphone is waiting on Qualcomm’s Snapdragon X50 modem, which is expected “after April,” while Samsung’s Galaxy S10 5G and Galaxy Fold phones apparently haven’t yet passed required tests. In the United States, those Samsung devices are expected to use Qualcomm Snapdragon chips, but in South Korea they are likely to use Samsung’s own Exynos processors and modems, the timetables for which depend upon Samsung.
“It’s fair to say that the whole 5G rollout timetable was based on when Samsung’s 5G smartphone would hit the market,” a Herald source explained. “If there is a (delay) within Samsung, the whole launch would consequently [be delayed].”
If the lack of hardware wasn’t enough of an impediment, South Korean carriers also continue to wrestle with affordable 5G service pricing, which many believe is critical to quickly encouraging use of the next-generation cellular technology. As of this week, the country’s carriers still do not know how much they will charge for 5G services, and they must receive government approval before debuting their plans.
While chipmakers such as Qualcomm have advocated unlimited 5G data services, given the new standard’s bandwidth and potential for ultra-responsive, data-demanding services, some 4G carriers are accustomed to charging by the gigabyte — or megabyte — and want to similarly meter 5G data. In that case, unlimited 5G plans could carry steep premiums.
South Korea’s ICT ministry this week rejected top carrier SK Telecom’s initial pricing plan, which the government said would “restrict the consumer’s right for choices.” Though the price of the plan wasn’t specified, the ministry described it as “expensive” and designed solely for users of “massive data,” without options for users with lower data needs.
In the United States, Verizon is currently offering unlimited 5G Home broadband service for $50 per month to existing Verizon Wireless customers, and $70 per month to non-customers. T-Mobile has committed to offering 5G service at the same prices as its 4G service for at least three years, while AT&T has debuted a 15-gigabyte limited 5G plan for $70 per month. Fourth-place carrier Sprint hasn’t yet announced pricing — beyond suggesting that a 5G plan would be more expensive than its prior service.
https://www.zdnet.com/article/south-korea-5g-rollout-faces-delay/
South Korea 5G rollout faces delays
South Korea will likely delay the rollout of 5G networks that was initially planned for this month due to delays in setting the right pricing plan, and smartphone makers and telcos struggling to meet the schedule.
By Cho Mu-Hyun | March 8, 2019 -- 03:45 GMT (11:45 GMT+08:00) | Topic: 5G
Recommended Content:
White Papers: Transform and Optimize Your Business Network with AI
Some technologies cause ripples, others cause waves of transformation and disruption. Today, we're seeing a new wave of highly transformative and potentially disruptive technologies, including artificial intelligence (AI), blockchain and the of Of...
Continue
South Korea's initial plan to roll out 5G networks in March -- and become first country to do so -- will now likely face delays as industry players are not ready to meet the schedule.
executive guide
What is 5G? Everything you need to know about the new wireless revolution
It's a capital improvement project the size of the entire planet, replacing one wireless architecture created this century with another one that aims to lower energy consumption and maintenance costs.
Read More
Jun Sung-bae, the director of planning at the Ministry of Science and ICT, said in a press briefing that the country only wanted to roll out 5G networks when "quality was assured", and that it did not have to commence deployment by the end of the month. He also added that commercialisation may not occur in March.
The embarrassing possibility of delays comes after Minister You Young Min had told reporters at Mobile World Congress (MWC) that 5G networks would be rolled out on the last week of March.
The setback has been caused by multiple factors, including government and telcos failing to agree on an appropriate 5G price plan for customers, as well as a lack of readiness from smartphone manufacturers Samsung and LG.
SK Telecom, South Korea's largest telco, turned in its 5G price plan proposal earlier this month but it was rejected by the Ministry. The carrier turned in price plans priced at over 70,000 won ($62) per month, which the government said was too high.
In response, the telco said that it plans to launch more affordable plans as 5G subscribers increase.
LG is not yet ready to launch its first 5G device as it relies on Qualcomm for its 5G modem chips, but the American chipmaker will only begin supplying them in May when the next-generation network is scheduled to launch in the US. As such, LG's V50 ThinQ, -- which is its first 5G model -- is likely to be launched then instead, according to company sources.
Samsung, which produces its own modem chips, will also likely delay the sales of its upcoming 5G device -- the 5G version of Galaxy S10 -- due to the need to complete quality tests. The sale of the 5G version of Galaxy S10 was initially slated for end of the month.
The company is still in discussions with telcos to launch the phone in April, sources said.
The initial tight deadline is thought to be caused largely by the rise of China, which is challenging South Korea's dominance in smartphones and related hardware locally and abroad. Huawei is major vendor of 5G equipment to local carrier LG Uplus and has overtaken Apple as the global runner-up in smartphone sales.
Related Coverage
MWC 2019: Huawei builds 5G network across Korea with LG Uplus
LG Uplus has deployed more than 10,000 5G sites across Korea using Huawei technology, providing average mobile speeds of 900Mbps in Seoul.
Galaxy Fold with 5G launching in May in South Korea
Samsung Electronics will launch its foldable smartphone the Galaxy Fold with 5G in May in South Korea, the company's mobile boss says, and vows to sell more than a million units globally.
MWC 2019: LG unveils 5G smartphone V50 ThinQ
LG has taken the wraps off its 5G smartphone at Mobile World Congress 2019, along with a dual-screen 'companion', and the LG G8 ThinQ with palm vein hand ID unlock.
KT completes mobile edge computing centres for 5G
South Korean telco KT has built mobile edge computing telecom centres in 8 major cities in the country to bring out the max capacity of 5G's low latency.
5G cybersecurity concerns and physical challenges: What you need to know (TechRepublic)
Dan Patterson discusses how 5G will enable IoT, AR, VR, 3D renderings, and more. He also talks about the numerous cybersecurity concerns with 5G.
https://pocketnow.com/south-korea-delays-commercial-5g-roll-out
South Korea delays commercial 5G roll-out to April
by Anton D. NagyMarch 7, 2019 7:00 am
South Korea is on the first place in the top five countries with the most advanced 5G networks, according to a recent report. A December report also predicted that adoption of 5G smartphones will be the largest in the world in South Korea. Scheduled for deployment this month, March 2019, the commercial roll-out of 5G in the country has been delayed to next month, April 2019.
You can read the entire report at the source link below.
South Korea delays commercial 5G service over phone and carrier issues
Jeremy Horwitz@horwitz March 7, 2019 7:30 AM
Above: SK Telecom and BMW show a connected car running on a 5G network.
Image Credit: VentureBeat/Chris O'Brien
South Korea’s government rushed the country’s top cellular carriers to launch “commercial” 5G networks last year, but as of now 5G phones and services still aren’t available to consumers, the Korea Herald reports today. Consequently, the government expects carriers to miss a March deadline for bringing actual 5G service to customers, instead starting in April — assuming the devices and service plans are ready.
If you’ve been following South Korea’s efforts to become one of the world’s first countries with 5G, today’s developments may or may not come as a surprise. Following Verizon’s launch of the world’s first consumer 5G service on October 1, South Korea’s government rallied carriers SK Telecom, LG Uplus, and KT to open their 5G networks with a nationally broadcast event on December 1. But there were no actual 5G devices for Korean customers to purchase, making the supposedly “commercial” launch more theoretical than practical.
Recommended videos
Powered by AnyClip
Now the government says its commercial 5G launch is being held up by the lack of “quality” 5G devices and reasonable 5G service plans. “We determined that it is much more desirable to wait until 5G smartphones’ quality will become secure,” South Korean lead ICT ministry planner Chun Sung-bae told the Herald. “There is still a chance for 5G rollout in March, but it is not high.”
According to the report, the release of LG’s V50 ThinQ 5G smartphone is waiting on Qualcomm’s Snapdragon X50 modem, which is expected “after April,” while Samsung’s Galaxy S10 5G and Galaxy Fold phones apparently haven’t yet passed required tests. In the United States, those Samsung devices are expected to use Qualcomm Snapdragon chips, but in South Korea they are likely to use Samsung’s own Exynos processors and modems, the timetables for which depend upon Samsung.
“It’s fair to say that the whole 5G rollout timetable was based on when Samsung’s 5G smartphone would hit the market,” a Herald source explained. “If there is a (delay) within Samsung, the whole launch would consequently [be delayed].”
If the lack of hardware wasn’t enough of an impediment, South Korean carriers also continue to wrestle with affordable 5G service pricing, which many believe is critical to quickly encouraging use of the next-generation cellular technology. As of this week, the country’s carriers still do not know how much they will charge for 5G services, and they must receive government approval before debuting their plans.
While chipmakers such as Qualcomm have advocated unlimited 5G data services, given the new standard’s bandwidth and potential for ultra-responsive, data-demanding services, some 4G carriers are accustomed to charging by the gigabyte — or megabyte — and want to similarly meter 5G data. In that case, unlimited 5G plans could carry steep premiums.
South Korea’s ICT ministry this week rejected top carrier SK Telecom’s initial pricing plan, which the government said would “restrict the consumer’s right for choices.” Though the price of the plan wasn’t specified, the ministry described it as “expensive” and designed solely for users of “massive data,” without options for users with lower data needs.
In the United States, Verizon is currently offering unlimited 5G Home broadband service for $50 per month to existing Verizon Wireless customers, and $70 per month to non-customers. T-Mobile has committed to offering 5G service at the same prices as its 4G service for at least three years, while AT&T has debuted a 15-gigabyte limited 5G plan for $70 per month. Fourth-place carrier Sprint hasn’t yet announced pricing — beyond suggesting that a 5G plan would be more expensive than its prior service.
https://www.zdnet.com/article/south-korea-5g-rollout-faces-delay/
South Korea 5G rollout faces delays
South Korea will likely delay the rollout of 5G networks that was initially planned for this month due to delays in setting the right pricing plan, and smartphone makers and telcos struggling to meet the schedule.
By Cho Mu-Hyun | March 8, 2019 -- 03:45 GMT (11:45 GMT+08:00) | Topic: 5G
Recommended Content:
White Papers: Transform and Optimize Your Business Network with AI
Some technologies cause ripples, others cause waves of transformation and disruption. Today, we're seeing a new wave of highly transformative and potentially disruptive technologies, including artificial intelligence (AI), blockchain and the of Of...
Continue
South Korea's initial plan to roll out 5G networks in March -- and become first country to do so -- will now likely face delays as industry players are not ready to meet the schedule.
executive guide
What is 5G? Everything you need to know about the new wireless revolution
It's a capital improvement project the size of the entire planet, replacing one wireless architecture created this century with another one that aims to lower energy consumption and maintenance costs.
Read More
Jun Sung-bae, the director of planning at the Ministry of Science and ICT, said in a press briefing that the country only wanted to roll out 5G networks when "quality was assured", and that it did not have to commence deployment by the end of the month. He also added that commercialisation may not occur in March.
The embarrassing possibility of delays comes after Minister You Young Min had told reporters at Mobile World Congress (MWC) that 5G networks would be rolled out on the last week of March.
The setback has been caused by multiple factors, including government and telcos failing to agree on an appropriate 5G price plan for customers, as well as a lack of readiness from smartphone manufacturers Samsung and LG.
SK Telecom, South Korea's largest telco, turned in its 5G price plan proposal earlier this month but it was rejected by the Ministry. The carrier turned in price plans priced at over 70,000 won ($62) per month, which the government said was too high.
In response, the telco said that it plans to launch more affordable plans as 5G subscribers increase.
LG is not yet ready to launch its first 5G device as it relies on Qualcomm for its 5G modem chips, but the American chipmaker will only begin supplying them in May when the next-generation network is scheduled to launch in the US. As such, LG's V50 ThinQ, -- which is its first 5G model -- is likely to be launched then instead, according to company sources.
Samsung, which produces its own modem chips, will also likely delay the sales of its upcoming 5G device -- the 5G version of Galaxy S10 -- due to the need to complete quality tests. The sale of the 5G version of Galaxy S10 was initially slated for end of the month.
The company is still in discussions with telcos to launch the phone in April, sources said.
The initial tight deadline is thought to be caused largely by the rise of China, which is challenging South Korea's dominance in smartphones and related hardware locally and abroad. Huawei is major vendor of 5G equipment to local carrier LG Uplus and has overtaken Apple as the global runner-up in smartphone sales.
Related Coverage
MWC 2019: Huawei builds 5G network across Korea with LG Uplus
LG Uplus has deployed more than 10,000 5G sites across Korea using Huawei technology, providing average mobile speeds of 900Mbps in Seoul.
Galaxy Fold with 5G launching in May in South Korea
Samsung Electronics will launch its foldable smartphone the Galaxy Fold with 5G in May in South Korea, the company's mobile boss says, and vows to sell more than a million units globally.
MWC 2019: LG unveils 5G smartphone V50 ThinQ
LG has taken the wraps off its 5G smartphone at Mobile World Congress 2019, along with a dual-screen 'companion', and the LG G8 ThinQ with palm vein hand ID unlock.
KT completes mobile edge computing centres for 5G
South Korean telco KT has built mobile edge computing telecom centres in 8 major cities in the country to bring out the max capacity of 5G's low latency.
5G cybersecurity concerns and physical challenges: What you need to know (TechRepublic)
Dan Patterson discusses how 5G will enable IoT, AR, VR, 3D renderings, and more. He also talks about the numerous cybersecurity concerns with 5G.
https://pocketnow.com/south-korea-delays-commercial-5g-roll-out
South Korea delays commercial 5G roll-out to April
by Anton D. NagyMarch 7, 2019 7:00 am
South Korea is on the first place in the top five countries with the most advanced 5G networks, according to a recent report. A December report also predicted that adoption of 5G smartphones will be the largest in the world in South Korea. Scheduled for deployment this month, March 2019, the commercial roll-out of 5G in the country has been delayed to next month, April 2019.
We determined that it is much more desirable to wait until 5G smartphones’ quality will become secure. There is still a chance for 5G rollout in March, but it is not high. — Chun Sung-bae, Ministry of Science and ICT
The Korea Herald reports that despite Samsung and LG both introducing their 5G smartphones, they are struggling to meet the quality standards imposed by the government by the end of the month. Industry sources cited by the publication say that the 5G LG V50 ThinQ will have to wait until April, when Qualcomm will ship its new X50 modem chip. Samsung, says the report, while having its own chip, it faces problems and needs more time to pass trials.It’s fair to say that the whole 5G rollout timetable was based on when Samsung’s 5G smartphone would hit the market. … If there is a (delay) within Samsung, the whole launch would consequently (be delayed) — unnamed source
The government also rejected SK Telecom’s pricing plan for 5G mobile services, motivating it by saying it “restricts the consumers’ right for choices”. This further adds to the problem, as even if smartphone manufacturers would be able to have their products ready by end of March, mobile carriers “would not be ready to determine how much they would charge for the new service”.You can read the entire report at the source link below.
