Lightning-Fast Internet Everywhere: Inside South Korea’s Blazing Broadband Empire and 6G Ambitions
As of 2023, nearly 89% of all broadband connections in South Korea are fiber-optic, the highest share in the world. South Korea launched commercial 5G in April 2019, becoming the first country to do so. By late 2023, SK Telecom alone had over 15 million 5G subscribers, with KT and LG U+ close behind. The fixed and mobile backbone includes at least five major IXPs and nine submarine cables landing at four coastal stations, with a new high-capacity subsea cable online in 2024. The government’s K-Network 2030 plan aims for the first commercial 6G services by 2028 and earmarks around