More Than Half a Million 5G Users In South Korea Returned To 4G Network

Due to dissatisfaction with 5G speed and operator services, more than half a million almost 560,000 5G users in South Korea have recently returned to 4G networks.

According to the Nikkei Asian Review, Hong Zhenmin, a member of the Korean Broadcasting and Communications Commission, recently stated that as many as 562,656 people have switched from 5G to 4G services due to consumers’ dissatisfaction with the poor quality of 5G, insufficient coverage, and high charges.

On April 3, 2019, South Korea became the first country in the world to provide 5G communication services. However, due to poor connectivity, a large number of South Korean consumers have canceled 5G contracts and returned to the embrace of 4G networks.

As of the end of August, 5G users returning to 4G accounted for 6.5% of the total number of 5G users of three domestic mobile operators SK Telecom, KT, and LG Uplus.

Hong Zhenmin said that the procedure for changing the contract is complicated, but consumers still insist on the change because they are disgusted by the poor quality of 5G, insufficient coverage, and high fees.

Some users said that switching to 5G will cause the mobile phone’s battery to consume faster and not reach the desired speed.

Initially, the Korean government and mobile operators claimed that the 5G transmission rate is 20 times faster than 4G LTE, but in fact, the average 5G speed of operators is only 4 times faster than 4G LTE. In addition, 5G coverage is mainly limited to the Seoul area and six major cities in South Korea.