S. Korea posts 10.9 million 5G users in November

South Korea registered 10.9 million users on fifth-generation (5G) wireless networks as of end-November, accounting for 15.5 percent of the total 70.5 million mobile subscriptions.

According to data compiled by the Ministry of Science and ICT, subscriptions to the high-speed networks in November surged by almost 1 million from the previous month amid launches of new 5G phones, such as Apple Inc.'s iPhone 12 series.

South Korea commercialized 5G in April last year, becoming the first country to do so, and has since been aggressively promoted for its wider adoption.

However, the country's 5G networks had an average download speed reaching 690.47 megabits per second (Mbps), just over four times, instead of 20 times, faster than 4G LTE speeds.

Standalone versions of 5G and millimeter-wave 5G are being prepared for commercialization to boost quality and speed.