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Monthly increase in 5G subscribers reaches record high in May: data

June 30, 2020

The number of new 5G subscribers rose by a record high in May for this year, with total network users reaching just under 6.9 million, official data showed Tuesday.

The latest findings showed 5G subscribers increasing by 536,997 in May compared to the month before, exceeding the previous monthly record of 520,478 reported in March, the Ministry of Science and ICT said.

The overall number of 5G users stood at over 6.87 million, just 14 months after the country adopted the ultrahigh speed telecom service, it said. This is roughly equal to 10 percent of the 69.43 million mobile service accounts in the country.

South Korea rolled out the world’s first commercial 5G network on April 3, 2019, with the nation’s three carriers — SK Telecom Co., KT Corp. and LG Uplus Corp. — aggressively promoting the new service to consumers. Most smartphone companies have also launched 5G-enabled devices.

SK Telecom, South Korea’s No. 1 mobile carrier said it had some 3.11 million 5G customers in May, making up 45.2 percent of the total.

KT’s 5G subscriber number stood at 2.08 million as of late last month, followed by 1.68 million for LG Uplus, the latest ministry data showed.

A consumer looks at a 5G phone at a mobile store in downtown Seoul on June 8, 2020. (Yonhap)

A consumer looks at a 5G phone at a mobile store in downtown Seoul on June 8, 2020. (Yonhap)