Seoul has fastest 5G network speeds: report

An engineer of SK Telecom works on the installation of a 5G antenna unit on the rooftop of a building in Myeong-dong, central Seoul.(SKT)

Seoul boasts the world’s fastest 5G network services, according to a broadband speed test conducted with iPhone 12 devices.

According to Ookla’s speed test data published last month, Seoul ranked first with a median download speed of 472.28 megabits per second, followed by Dubai of the United Arab Emirates, Saudi Arabia capital Riyadh, Sydney and Helsinki.

Seoul had the fastest upload speed, reaching 49.09 megabits per second, the data also showed.

Ookla’s report noted that more than 100,000 5G base stations in Seoul helped the city secure the fastest 5G speeds. Currently, there are around 150,000 5G stations installed in Seoul, local telecommunications firms here estimate.

By company, LG U+ showed the fastest median download speed on the iPhone 12 in Seoul at 625.03 Mbps. SK Telecom came second with 500.31 Mbps, followed by KT with 393.95 Mbps.

LG U+ also posted the fastest median upload speed on Apple’s latest mobile devices in Seoul at 57.78 Mbps. SK Telecom and KT followed with 52.54 Mbps and 43.55 Mbps, respectively.

In terms of both download and upload speeds, LG U+ ranked first among 14 mobile carriers operating 5G services.

Ookla tested 5G services with devices from Apple’s iPhone 12 lineup in 15 different cities beginning last year. The daily count of devices that are capable of connecting to the 5G network jumped significantly after Apple began launching its iPhone 12 models.

The number of 5G devices increased 138.3 percent after the launch of the iPhone 12 5G and iPhone 12 Pro 5G, and jumped 44.3 percent again after the launch of the iPhone 12 Mini 5G and iPhone 12 Pro Max 5G, according to the report.

The launch of 5G Apple devices marks a major milestone for the 5G network, the report said.

By Shim Woo-hyun (ws@heraldcorp.com)

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