The Ministry of Science and ICT said on the 27th that it held a launch meeting for a public-private consultative body to promote network investment in the age of artificial intelligence (AI) with the three mobile carriers.
The consultative body was formed after Bae Kyung-hoon, Deputy Prime Minister and Minister, met with the chief executive officers (CEOs) of the three mobile carriers last month and agreed to discuss ways to expand investment and improve regulations together.
At the meeting, the Ministry of Science and ICT and the three mobile carriers shared the situation in which carriers' capital expenditure (CAPEX) has been on the decline after the completion of intensive early investment for 5G commercialization, and discussed ways to spur investment by advancing fixed and mobile networks and building next-generation networks. They also exchanged views on investment directions related to the introduction of next-generation technologies such as AI-based radio access networks (AI-RAN) and 6G.
As policy support to resolve on-site difficulties that hinder revitalizing network investment, they discussed: ▲ promoting innovation in telecom services through rationalizing regulations ▲ reviewing government budget projects and tax support measures ▲ ensuring stable and gradual transition of legacy networks such as 3G on the premise of user protection.
The Ministry of Science and ICT plans to push policies to remove institutional uncertainties so carriers can continue stable investment, and to draw up and announce a comprehensive plan on next-generation network investment and regulatory improvement within the year.
At the meeting, the Ministry of Science and ICT also reviewed the progress toward commercializing 5G standalone mode (SA) scheduled for the end of this year. The three carriers said they are expanding 5G core networks and verifying device interoperability to build a stable 5G SA environment, and are pursuing technology demonstrations such as providing event staff at World Cup street cheering venues—where large crowds gather—with customized, dedicated networks separated from public networks to ensure communications stability. They also decided to identify innovative services based on 5G SA, including priority transmission for emergency rescue communications, ultra-low-latency live on-site broadcasting in crowded areas, and user-tailored services.
The Ministry of Science and ICT plans to support the spread of 5G SA-compatible devices. It also intends to supplement the net neutrality guidelines, comprehensively considering cases from major countries, so that innovative services using new technologies such as network slicing can spread smoothly. Centered on criteria for priority transmission and special services such as emergency rescue communications, it will overhaul the guidelines and, in the fourth quarter of this year, release a draft revision and reflect the feedback received.
The Ministry of Science and ICT will also revamp the network quality assessment system so the characteristics of 5G SA can be fully demonstrated. Moving away from evaluations focused on download speed, it plans to measure and release results that comprehensively reflect ▲ upload speed ▲ latency ▲ network slicing quality and user-perceived quality (QoE).