SK Telecom to End 3G Service by End of Next Year... Resolving Inefficiencies and Accelerating 5G Investment

SK Telecom plans to terminate its 3rd generation (3G) mobile communication service, which has been provided for 23 years, by the end of next year. Accordingly, starting from the 20th, new subscriptions, number portability, and device changes for 3G phones and LTE phones without HD Voice (high-definition voice calling) functionality have been suspended. LTE devices that do not support HD Voice utilize the 3G network for voice calls, so their use becomes difficult when the service ends; therefore, they are included in the target for transition.

Starting from this day, the company will also operate various transition support programs to allow existing 3G customers to migrate to LTE and 5G services. Following the suspension of new subscriptions, SK Telecom intends to check the status of existing subscribers' transition to LTE/5G, the implementation of customer protection measures, and network operational conditions before applying to the Ministry of Science and ICT for approval to terminate the service.

The 3G network is also used for industrial equipment such as emergency elevators, security facilities, and vehicle tracking systems, making it difficult to switch simply by replacing the terminal as with mobile phones. SK Telecom and KT are the two telecom operators currently running 3G services in Korea, and KT is also discussing 3G termination with the government. This measure will also impact the 3G operations of MVNO (mobile virtual network operator) partners that utilize the SK Telecom and KT networks.