KISDI: Korea Must Accelerate 5G and 6G Investments to Stay Competitive in AI Era
SEOUL, Nov. 4 (Korea Bizwire) — South Korea’s push to strengthen its artificial intelligence (AI) ecosystem through massive GPU investments with Nvidia could face setbacks due to the country’s lagging telecommunications infrastructure, a government-affiliated think tank warned Monday.
In a report titled “Key Issues in Advancing AI Mobile Network Infrastructure,” the Korea Information Society Development Institute (KISDI) said the nation’s 5G network development has stagnated since its commercial rollout, raising concerns about whether it can support the computing and data demands of the AI era.
The institute stressed that a robust AI communications network is essential to ensure stable access to AI computing and services across daily life and industries.
While global 5G standards include both standalone (SA) and non-standalone (NSA) modes, South Korea has largely relied on the latter, which combines LTE and 5G base stations for data transmission. Among the country’s three major telecom operators, only KT has built a commercial standalone 5G network. SK Telecom and LG Uplus continue to operate on the NSA model.
The report warned that if South Korea remains dependent on NSA-based 5G networks, the rollout of core 5G applications could be delayed, potentially undermining national competitiveness in AI.
To address the issue, KISDI recommended allocating additional spectrum and creating stronger investment incentives for telecom operators to accelerate infrastructure upgrades. It added that establishing 5G equipment capable of evolving into 6G using low- and mid-band frequencies would help modernize the nation’s network.
The institute also called for renewed discussions on cost-sharing mechanisms among digital content and service providers to fund the expansion of next-generation communications infrastructure.
Kevin Lee (kevinlee@koreabizwire.com)
