[헤럴드경제= 박영훈 기자] “Most modern smartphones are only 5G phones. So, I bought a new phone for self-sufficiency and used the LTE plan. ” (Mr. K, employee)
“I’ve subscribed to the 5G rate plan, but if I suddenly switch to LTE, it’s a waste to pay the 5G rate” (Worker P)
It’s been 4 years since the 5G service started, but there are still many people who stick to LTE and cheap phones. This is because they have not yet felt the need to switch from cheap LTE to expensive 5G plans that cost 80,000 won per month.
In particular, it is surprising that many people are using the latest 5G smartphones with LTE plans. This is because most of the latest smartphones are 5G phones. It’s like buying a standalone smartphone and subscribing to 4G LTE rates.
5G subscriber growth is also slowing. The telecommunications industry predicted that the number of subscribers would exceed 30 million within the year, marking the 4th anniversary of the commercialization of 5G last year, but the forecast was wrong. It is analyzed that the debate about the quality of 5G, the composition of high price rate plans, and the growth of LTE subscribers focused on affordable phones has been holding back.
At the end of December last year, the number of 5G subscribers was 28,059,900. An increase of 7,144,000 compared to the same month last year. Compared to the increase of 9,064,000 from 11,851,000 at the end of December 2020 to 20,915,000 at the end of December 2021, the increase is less.
On the other hand, the number of LTE budget phone subscribers continues to grow based on cheaper rate plans compared to 5G. At the end of December last year, the number of LTE budget phone subscribers increased by 194,793 from the previous month (11,438,256). Compared to a year ago, it increased by 2,691,805. Unlike 5G, which shows congestion, the rate of increase in the number of subscribers of LTE budget phones is increasing.
A telecoms industry official said, “The reason why 5G subscriber growth has slowed down is that the difference in speed experienced by users between 4G and 5G has narrowed, and the rejection of expensive rate plans appears to still is. reflect.”
As telecom companies’ investment in a 5G communications network has increased, it has improved greatly, but consumer complaints about quality remain. Even users using 5G often switch to LTE due to unstable 5G networks.
According to the 5G quality evaluation at the end of last year by the Ministry of Science and ICT, the average 5G download speed of the three communication companies was 896.1 Mbps. Although it is 11.8% faster than the previous year, users feel that the quality is still insufficient compared to paying high fees.
Many note that in order to speed up the process of expanding 5G subscribers, there is a need to resolve quality complaints and reorganize the rating system. However, as telecom companies have invested heavily in 5G, it is difficult to reduce rates in a short period of time.
A telecom industry official said, “All telecom companies are planning to introduce an additional mid-rate plan with slightly cheaper rates, but consumers are not satisfied. It will take more time for 5G to settle firmly in the market,” he said.
park@heraldcorp.com
