Standalone 5G Becomes National Standard in South Korea’s AI-Era Network Strategy

Government Requires Carriers to Shift Fully to 5G SA for New Spectrum Allocations

SEOUL, Dec. 11 (Korea Bizwire) — South Korea will require telecommunications companies to shift fully to standalone 5G networks as a condition for renewing their 3G and LTE spectrum licenses, the government said Wednesday, marking a major policy push to modernize national mobile infrastructure for the artificial intelligence era.

The Ministry of Science and ICT said 370 megahertz of 3G and LTE spectrum due to expire next year will be reassigned under new rules that mandate carriers to migrate from non-standalone 5G networks — which combine LTE and 5G frequencies — to standalone service that uses only 5G spectrum.

Officials argue the transition is critical to support ultra-low latency connectivity for emerging “physical AI” applications, such as humanoid robots, autonomous driving and remote medical services.

The total reassignment fee was set at 3.1 trillion won (US$2.1 billion), about 14.8 percent lower than the previous 3.6 trillion-won allocation, reflecting the expectation that LTE spectrum will play a diminishing role as standalone 5G adoption expands.

Carriers will be required to connect existing 5G base stations to standalone core equipment by the end of next year. The ministry said operators that accelerate indoor 5G deployment will be eligible for lower reassignment charges; if more than 20,000 indoor 5G radio stations are built by the end of 2031, the total reassignment fee will fall to around 2.9 trillion won.

Spectrum renewal periods will also be differentiated by band. Portions of the 1.8 GHz and 2.6 GHz bands — areas requiring reconfiguration ahead of 6G commercialization — will be renewed for only three years, until 2029, rather than the standard five. Under certain conditions, one block of LTE spectrum could see its usage period shortened one year after reassignment.

Officials acknowledged that early standalone deployment may temporarily reduce wireless speeds where LTE is no longer used in tandem, but said carriers are expected to adjust radio planning and add base stations to maintain service quality.

O Yongsu, the ministry’s director general for radio policy, said the upgraded mobile network is intended to improve service quality and reinforce South Korea’s ambitions to become a global leader in AI infrastructure.

Kevin Lee (kevinlee@koreabizwire.com)