In July, the South Korean Ministry of Science and ICT (MSIT) announced the launch of the 6G Society, a new initiative aimed at enhancing technology exchange and cooperation between the 6G satellite and mobile communications industries.

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South Korea has been launching numerous initiatives to promote 6G. Photo: Neowin

MSIT emphasizes: "The natural synergy between satellite and terrestrial mobile communications is key to achieving hyperspace communication services connecting land, sea, and air." Through ongoing collaboration between the two industries from the outset, MSIT aims to develop 6G wireless communications with ultra-high connectivity, ultra-low latency, and hyperspace capabilities.

As satellite communication plays an increasingly important role in 6G, the new initiative will share standardization trends between mobile and satellite communications, and foster discussions on the development of technologies and means of connecting related technologies.

According to Jae Myeong, Deputy Director of MSIT's Network Policy Office, industry, academia, organizations, and the government need to work together to quickly establish standards for 6G and ensure the technology is commercialized rapidly. The ministry will provide a forum for cooperation between mobile communications and terrestrial satellites, listen to expert opinions, and reflect them in policy.

In November 2023, MSIT announced a 440.4 billion won R&D plan for future 6G networks. The plan includes developing technologies related to wireless communication, mobile core networks, 6G wired networks, 6G systems, and 6G standardization.

In February 2023, MSIT announced that South Korea plans to launch 6G services in 2028, two years ahead of schedule, through the development of world- class 6G technologies, innovation in next-generation software-based mobile networks, and strengthening the network supply chain. Simultaneously, the government will encourage local companies to domestically produce materials, components, and equipment for 6G technology and develop Open RAN.

According to MSIT, the two-year acceleration aims to help South Korea maintain its leading position in the global competition for future network infrastructure, following the 5G race, to meet the growing demand for higher speeds and lower latency in wireless communications.

According to the German analytics firm IPlytics, South Korea leads in 5G technology with a high number of 5G patents, while 4G is largely dominated by American and European companies. In 2022, the country's 5G patents accounted for 25.9% of the global total, second only to China (26.8%). The South Korean government aims to increase this figure to over 30% for 6G networks.

(According to Telegraphic, Yonhap)