According to the latest data from the South Korean telecommunications regulator, in less than a year after the introduction of new technology, South Korea’s 5G network now carries nearly a quarter of all wireless network traffic in the country.

KPhil Kendall, an analyst at Strategy Analytics, a research and consulting firm, clearly introduced 5G growth in South Korea since the introduction of 5G technology by Korean operators in early 2019.

December data showed that South Korea had 4.67 million 5G connections, an increase of 313,000 that month. Since August, the monthly net increase has continued to decline. In November, the average 5G usage was 27.3GB, while 4G was 9.7GB, 3G was 0.16GB, and 2G was 4MB. 5G now accounts for 21% of mobile connection traffic.

The agency pointed out that part of the reason for the country’s large 5G network traffic is that most South Korean 5G customers sign up for the unlimited data plan. Currently, more than two-thirds of 5G users in South Korea have adopted unlimited plans, far exceeding 4G and 3G users, and 5G users in South Korea consume an average of 33GB per month in the fourth quarter of 2019.

Currently, three wireless network operators in South Korea, SK Telecom, KT and LG Uplus, provide 5G services, although SK Telecom has a leading position in 5G market share.

South Korea has long been a technology proving ground, thanks to the large number of tech-savvy citizens and the government’s emphasis on innovation. In 5G, the country benefits from a wide range of wired networks for backhaul and a large number of unused flexible mid-bands, which are ideal for 5G coverage and capacity. In addition, the country’s area is about 1% of the United States, which is roughly the same as the area of the state of Tennessee, which makes it easier for Korean operators to cover a large population with 5G signals.

It is difficult to assess how the United States can compete with South Korea in terms of 5G customers and network traffic, given that U.S. carriers such as Verizon and AT&T have not disclosed such statistics.

Although South Korea has long been ahead in 5G, China’s promotion of 5G will undoubtedly eclipse South Korea. Although 5G is still only a few months in China, as of the end of 2019, China’s three major mobile network operators have provided 5G services in 50 cities, deployed 130,000 base stations, and about 10 million users signed up and shipped 13.8 million mobile phones.