5G
Home to the world ’ s first commercial 5G networks , Seoul is a pioneering testbed for the next generation of telecommunications technology
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T he race is on . Around the world , mobile operators and telecom companies are battling it out in the competition to shape global telecommunications architecture for the next decade . 5G networks are beginning to saturate our cities , powering expanded IoT applications and the next generation of commercial mobile devices .
As South Korea ’ s capital and largest metropolis , Seoul has become the epicentre of the country ’ s 5G ambitions . As of early May , the city was host to 83 5G networks . As of April this year , the country as a whole achieved 5G penetration of nearly 10 %, far ahead of most its closest competition , with more than 6.1mn people accessing commercial networks at the beginning of June ( second only to China for number of subscribers ). South Korea ’ s President , Moon Jae-in expects to create 600,000 jobs and a 5G-based export industry worth $ 73bn by 2026 .
SEPTEMBER 2020