5G Network In South Korea: Nation's Internet Speed Will Be 1000 times faster; See How Much It Costs
South Korea takes its internet very seriously and is about to become the first country with a legitimate '5G' network speed, following a government announcement of $1.5 billion to fund the necessary upgrades.
The South Korean government will spend the money on communication technologies which will make the country's mobile communications network one-thousand times faster than they are at present.
Regardless of the capabilities of any network, any wireless carrier who wants take advantage of them needs to enact expensive upgrades to their systems, a cost which would trickle down to the users who would ultimately have to pay. The South Korean government decided to pick up the check on this one, ensuring the country stays on top when it comes to this particular area.
According to the South Korea Science Ministry, "We helped fuel national growth with 2G services in the 1990s, 3G in the 2000s and 4G around 2010. Now it is time to take preemptive action to develop 5G," the nation's science ministry said, according to CNN. "Countries in Europe, China and the U.S. are making aggressive efforts to develop 5G technology ... and we believe there will be fierce competition in this market in a few years."
CNN reports that South Korea is the most connected country in the world: "A worldwide high of 82.7% of South Koreans use the Internet, and 78.5% of the nation's population is on smartphones. Narrow that down to 18-24 year olds and it's dangerously close to full saturation -- 97.7%."
5G is slated to be rolled out in 2017 with full saturation by 2020. The major telecommunication companies Samsung and LG are on board and plan to be ready to take advantage of the network, according to a recent government statement. The network will hit the U.S. and elsewhere eventually.
This change will trigger growth in so many countries when it comes to mobile networking, forcing all of us to adapt or be left behind.
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