5G+ Spectrum Plan’s goal is for South Korean Government to secure key resources for innovative growth and the Fourth Industrial Revolution before other countries by establishing world’s widest territory for 5G frequency with total of 5,320MHz range.
Ministry of Science and ICT (MSIT) has established a step-by-step strategy that will secure additional 2,640GHz range by dividing medium to low-bandwidth and high-bandwidth with 6GHz as the standard considering use of 5G frequency and urgency to secure resources. Its strategy is to vitalize new industrial convergence based on 5G so that the people in South Korea can use the best 5G services anywhere in South Korea.
◊MSIT to expand the base of 5G use by expanding medium to low-bandwidth
MSIT is planning to add 640MHz range to 5G frequency that is under 6GHz until 2026 and is planning to increase the range up to 920MHz.
Most of countries such as the U.S., Germany, and United Kingdom as well as South Korea are looking at 3.5GHz as 5G frequency. While improving the speed and the quality of their mobile network, they are also trying to secure markets for relevant equipment and devices in advance.
MSIT is going to secure about 320MHz range additionally in order to use mobile network frequencies that are about to expire as 5G frequency.
By 2026, it is going to secure 80MHz range out of a band that is used for WiBro and 160MHz range out of 2.6GHz band that is about to expire. It is also planning to use 40MHz range from a 700MHz band and 30MHz range that is used by SK Telecom for 2G frequency and is about to expire as 5G frequency.
By providing possible directions and plans for frequencies that are about to expire, MSIT is able to increase companies’ abilities to predict the future. It is expected that establishing protective measure for users will be a key considering the fact that corresponding bands are frequencies where current users exist.
◊MSIT looking to vitalize new industries through high-bandwidth and unlicensed frequency
MSIT is going to secure 1,400MHz range by adding 800MHz range (25.7GHz to 26.5GHz) and 600MHz (28.9GHz to 29.5GHz) that are close to 28GHz band (2,400MHz from 26.5GHz to 28.9GHz) that is currently allocated by 2021. By 2026, it is going to secure 600MHz range from 24GHz and 37GHz bands additionally by applying trends of international standardization.
MSIT expects that medium to low-bandwidth will be centered on people’s living and high-bandwidth that is above 6GHz will be based on transmission of large amount of data and super-low latency and that such plan will accelerate innovation of industrial services such as smart factory.
It is also going to respond to future demands. It is planning to supply 6GHz band as unlicensed frequency so that it can be used for next-generation technologies such as Wi-Fi 6 and 7. Wi-Fi 6 can provide up to 9.6Gbps theoretically and it can be used for 5G network within a limited space. 6GHz band can also be used as ‘unlicensed 5G’, which is used to control robots in a smart factory setting, by applying 5G technology and providing super-low latency.
Unlicensed frequency can also be used for sensors. MSIT is planning to expand the use of frequency used for a radar that prevents collision. While supplying 11.7GHz range additionally for IoT services that required high reliability, it is also going to look for additional unlicensed bands within bands that are under 1GHz for broadband IoT services.
Regarding 5.9GHz band, it is going to finalize its plan for supply of frequency as soon as vehicle telecommunication method is decided for autonomous vehicles. It is going to look into supplying unlicensed bands of 433MHz frequency to allow drones to fly long distance and it is going to look into supplying frequency for biometric detection radar within the field of digital healthcare.
It is expected that unlicensed frequency will act as a faithful complementary good to 5G network as it plays a role of a vessel for hyperconnected network that is freely used by individuals and companies.
◊Tasks
MSIT is planning to designate uses beforehand and ease relevant regulations.
5G+ Spectrum Plan is a roadmap for plans to secure frequencies long-term and is a blueprint at the same time. MSIT’s task is to improve the degree of completion of policies so that mobile telecommunications companies can use frequencies at a reasonable price and based on a logical method.
Preventing confusion and interference and protecting users are also necessary while looking for new 5G frequency. MSIT is planning to operate a ‘clean zone’ within 3.5GHz band in order to avoid interference with current satellite frequency.
“Frequency is a key resource that will determine whether 5G+ Spectrum Plan will be successful or not.” said a representative for MSIT. “We are going to create new jobs by expanding frequency territory, improve the quality of people’s lives, and become world’s greatest 5G country.”
Staff Reporter Park, Jisung | jisung@etnews.com