SK Telecom to end 2G service on 6 July

News Wireless Korea, Republic of 17 JUN 2020
SK Telecom to end 2G service on 6 July
South Korea’s ICT Ministry has approved SK Telecom’s request to end its 2G service. The operator has been providing 2G services on the local market for the past 25 years. At a media briefing in Seoul on Friday, the ministry said it had approved the termination of SK Telecom’s 2G service due to outdated servers and failures caused by the lack of updated equipment, The Korea Herald reports. SK Telecom reports it will terminate its 2G service on 6 July.

The government also said it had carried out four on-site inspections of SK Telecom’s local 2G network centers since the company filed its request to end the service in November 2019.

“The ministry has found that there has been an increase of around 130 percent in mechanical failures at that telecommunications firm’s 2G network centers. The ministry has also confirmed that it would be difficult for the company to secure equipment parts to repair network servers in the future as many parts manufacturers no longer produce them or have gone bankrupt as of now”, said Lee Tai-hee, deputy minister for the Office of Network Policy.

SK Telecom still has around 384,000 2G service users, who will be able to keep their numbers starting with 011 and 017 for one year, until the radio frequency for the 2G network expires in June 2021. SK Telecom earlier agreed to provide financial support to existing 2G network users, who should now upgrade their data service plans and purchase new mobile phones, the ICT Ministry said.

Market competitor KT ended its 2G network service in 2011. LG Uplus still provides 2G services on the local market, and has not yet filed for approval of its 2G service termination, the ICT Ministry added.

Categories:

Mobile

Companies:

KT,  SK Telecom,  LG Uplus

Countries:

Korea, Republic of

Tags:

Launch, Wholesale

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