South Korea's Ministry of Information and Communication Technology announced on Monday that it plans to launch the commercial 6G network service in 2028. The big deal with this announcement is that, according to reports, the deployment will happen two years faster than the original plan, and South Korea also aims to beat the rest of the world to 6G technology. South Korea is also where the first commercial 5G network was launched and Samsung supported it with the Galaxy S10 5G.
The country will launch its own 6G network service by using world-class technology, and advanced software and by strengthening its network supply chain. And in order to push this, the South Korean government will incentivize local companies to produce materials and components, to deploy the 6G network as soon as announced.
A feasibility study for a 6G core technology is already underway
More stress is put on the supply chain network because the project is touted to be worth 625.3 billion won (approx. $482.1 million). South Korea is Asia's fourth-largest economy and accounts for 25.9% of 5G patents in 2022, second to China (26.8%). For comparison, the previous 4G technology development was mostly dominated by US and European companies.
By securing world-class 6G network equipment and launching the technology, South Korea aims to break past other countries. The government also intends to increase the proportion of 6G patents to 30% or higher. The early deployment of 6G technology will help South Korea zoom ahead of the global competition for future network infrastructure to meet future demands.
Samsung will undoubtedly support these plans and launch devices in time for the 6G network's arrival. It's still several years away but can be sure that Samsung will work hand in hand with its partners in South Korea to realize the 6G dream.