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SK Telecom (SKT), South Korea’s premier mobile carrier, was once a relentless advocate for the wonders of 5G. However, a recent SK Telecom 6G White Paper reveals a starkly different tune. The paper delves into the lessons learned from the “gap between the vision and reality of 5G” and concludes that 5G has been a letdown, failing to deliver on its promised advantages.

According to the white paper, despite achieving various goals, 5G has not provided the anticipated revolutionary services. The report admits that services such as autonomous driving, urban air mobility, extended reality (XR), hologram, and digital twin did not live up to expectations. SK Telecom recognizes that a more objective perspective should have been taken.

The paper also acknowledges the failure of representative services like 3D video, UHD streaming, AR/VR, autonomous driving, and remote surgery. The lack of success is attributed to factors such as device constraints, immature technology, low market demand, and policy/regulation issues.

Furthermore, the white paper raises concerns about the exaggerated claims surrounding 5G’s maximum transmission speed of 20Gbit/s. South Korea’s antitrust regulator, the Fair Trade Commission (KFTC), fined SK Telecom, KT Corp., and LG Uplus for deceptive advertising related to their 5G network services. The regulator found that the claimed speeds could only be achieved in specific environments, while the actual speeds reached 3 to 4 percent of the advertised figure.

SK Telecom’s paper ultimately attributes the failure of 5G to consumers and enterprises having excessive expectations. It also highlights the cost advantages of 5G, stating that costs per GB are over 70% cheaper than LTE, leading to increased data usage by 5G customers.

In conclusion, SK Telecom’s white paper unveils the disappointment surrounding 5G in South Korea. The carrier now acknowledges that the hype did not match the reality, and many expectations were left unfulfilled.

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