One of the primary benefits to 5G, the next generation of wireless cellular technology, is speed. The technology purportedly will boost speeds over current-generation networks by as much as 10 times.
5G is still emerging, so the speed promised is not there just yet, but network equipment manufacturers and telecoms are working on it. RootMetrics by IHS Markit tested the current data speed of 5G from three telecom operators in South Korea.
Why South Korea? As it stands now, South Korea has the most developed 5G network, with services in numerous cities establishing a substantial network footprint.
RootMetrics tested the three major telecoms in South Korea — KT, LG U+ and SK Telecom — to find out which carrier had the fastest 5G speed. LG U+ led the way in terms of the fastest speed, but all three operators provided significantly faster speeds on 5G, compared to other network technologies.
LG U+ had a 5G median download speed of 426.4 Mbps, meaning it would take only 12 seconds to download a 600 MB TV show, as an example file. Downloading the same show on a non-5G connection, at a median speed of 96.1 Mbps, would take closer to 51 seconds. LG U+ delivered the fastest maximum download speed at 902.7 Mbps.
KT delivered the slowest 5G median download speed across all networks at 163.0 Mbps, but even this would only take about 30 seconds to download the TV show. SK Telecom delivered a 5G median download speed of 286.9 Mbps, taking about 18 seconds to download the show.
Francis Sideco, vice president of technology at IHS Markit, said, “The 5G speeds we found in South Korea will make consumer data experiences much faster than ever before. But 5G is about more than just speed. It’s also about reliability and latency, and all three South Korean operators delivered promising results across the board, especially considering the 5G era has just begun.”
How they tested
RootMetrics by IHS Markit measured the 5G performance in Seoul at indoor and outdoor locations where people are likely to use their smartphones, including tourist areas, business districts and other highly populated areas. The market research firm drove approximately 778 miles (1,252 km), visited 30 indoor locations and conducted more than 16,000 tests of 5G performance. Tests were conducted using an unmodified, off-the-shelf LG V50 ThinQ 5G smartphone, purchased from the telecom operators with random sampling.
