South Korean telcos, SK Telecom, LG UPlus and KT Corp turned on their 5G networks as of the 1st December, initiating the launch of commercial 5G services in the country.

The services are currently limited to enterprise customers, with consumer mobile services not expected to be launched in South Korea until March 2019. To celebrate the launch, SK Telecom’s CEO Park Jung Ho conducted a video call over the company’s new 5G networks.

As per the sources, the video call was much clearer than on LTE network and the response was quicker. The three network operators unveiled slightly different services on sites.

SK Telecom’s 5GX service will be available through parts of Seoul and six other metropolitan areas in South Korea.

LG Uplus is launching 7,000 base stations across the country to facilitate the rollout of the initial phase of its 5G launch in eleven towns and cities.

KT Telecom launched its first 5G offering in Gwacheon, completing the mark of 5G launches in the Korean peninsula.

As per the sources, the launches mean that Korea has somehow won the race to be the first Asian nation to launch commercial 5G services. However, “it is expected to face stiff competition from China in the race to roll out mobile 5G services for consumers”.