Currently, public Wi-Fi service has been available in 18,000 public locations. (image: Gangseo District Office)
SEOUL, Aug. 20 (Korea Bizwire) — South Korea said Thursday it will expand free public Wi-Fi service to 41,000 additional locations across the country by 2022 to meet increasing data demand amid the coronavirus outbreak.
The move comes as the pandemic has led to a surge in data consumption this year.
South Koreans used 616,072 terabytes of wireless data in June, up 24 percent from the previous year, according to the Ministry of Science and ICT.
“Public Wi-Fi is becoming increasingly important amid the pandemic, which has expanded remote work and education,” Hur Sung-wook, head of the ICT ministry’s cybersecurity and network policy bureau, said in a statement.
“We will pursue additional installations as planned to ensure that the public can freely use data.”
Under the latest plan, the government aims to install free Wi-Fi in 10,000 public facilities, including libraries and bus stations, by the end of this year. It plans to establish the service in 31,000 additional sites in the next two years,
The ministry said the public Wi-Fi expansion will focus on coverage outdoors, such as parks and athletic facilities.
Currently, public Wi-Fi service has been available in 18,000 public locations since South Korea launched the project in 2012.
(Yonhap)
