South Korea is celebrating the world's first launch of commercial fifth-generation or 5G services... with the country's major mobile carriers opening the services to their VVIP customers first.
Kim Hyo-sun tells us more.
South Korean mobile carriers commercially launched 5G services at 11 p.m. on Wednesday.
The nation's three major mobile carriers - SK Telecom, KT and LG Uplus - celebrated the world's first launch of a consumer 5G network.
South Korea was also the first country to launch a 5G network for corporate use in December last year.
The nation's top mobile carrier, SK Telecom, provided 5G services to its honorary ambassadors - K-pop boy band EXO, former Olympic figure skating champion Kim Yu-na, professional gamer Lee Sang-hyeok, para swimmer Yun Sung-hyuk and its loyal customer Park Jae-won, who has been a subscriber to the carrier for 31 years.
"We are introducing 5G infrastructure, VR and AR, but future services will be far better than the current VR and AR."
KT and LG Uplus also began 5G services with the latter celebrating the inauguration of its services with a power blogger.
KT aims to introduce a cheaper 5G data plan compared to its current LTE plan.
"We will provide unlimited data services with an unlimited data roaming package when travelling overseas."
While South Korea originally planned to introduce the services on Friday,... the date was brought forward amid speculation U.S. mobile carrier Verizon may begin its 5G services on Thursday.
Beginning Friday, the public can subscribe to the 5G network,... which offers 20 times faster data speeds than 4G long-term evolution networks.
The "Korea 5G Day," an event co-organized by the public and private sectors will be held on April 8th to celebrate the world's first launch of the 5G network.
Kim Hyo-sun, Arirang News.