SK Telecom, KT, and LG Uplus will have their entire mobile communication frequency used for providing 3G and 4G (LTE) services (370 MHz bandwidth) reallocated.
The Ministry of Science and ICT noted on the 30th that it will reallocate all mobile communication frequencies expiring in 2026 to existing operators.
Before deciding on this mobile communication frequency reallocation, the Ministry of Science and ICT collected opinions from operators four times. It also operated a research group involving external experts nine times and held discussions in a radio policy advisory meeting. The Ministry of Science and ICT said, "As a result of comparing and analyzing aspects of service continuity, user protection, and national resource management efficiency, we decided to reallocate the entire frequency band currently in use for 3G and 4G (LTE)."
The Ministry of Science and ICT determined that the current minimum frequency bandwidth used for providing 3G (20 MHz in total, with SK Telecom 10 MHz and KT 10 MHz) requires full reallocation for 'service continuity' and 'user protection.'
In the case of the 4G frequency (350 MHz bandwidth), it was considered that providing service would not be problematic even without reallocating some bands. However, concerns were raised about a decline in communication quality, such as reduced maximum transmission speeds, if some frequency band allocations were canceled. Additionally, the fact that many 5G users are also using 4G frequencies was taken into account for the reallocation. The Ministry of Science and ICT believes it is preferable to reallocate the entire bandwidth from a user protection standpoint.
According to the enforcement ordinance of the Radio Waves Act, communication operators must apply for reallocation six months before the end of the frequency usage period. The Ministry of Science and ICT plans to prepare a detailed reallocation policy plan, including the usage period by bandwidth and reallocation costs, by the end of the year through consultations with operators and experts.
The Ministry of Science and ICT previously stated in the 'Korea Spectrum Plan' last August that it would review whether to provide additional 5G frequencies when establishing the policy direction for reallocation of 3G and 4G (LTE) frequencies. Related discussions are currently ongoing with operators, experts, and the relevant industry. A specific direction is planned to be drawn up after further opinion collection and announced when detailed policy measures are released.
The Ministry of Science and ICT said, "The government has decided to reallocate all mobile communication frequencies expiring in 2026 for user protection," adding, "We will announce detailed policy measures and the provision of new frequencies by the end of the year, considering the commercialization of 6G, the advancement of artificial intelligence (AI) services, and the current status of frequency usage."