South Korea Mobile Insights
January - June 2023
COVERAGE-QoE / TRAFFIC ANALYSIS / DIGITAL DIVIDE
This global study examines both the mobile quality of experience, as measured by M2Catalyst’s proprietary coverage accessibility algorithm, and the percentage of mobile traffic carried by each network technology on an MNO-by-MNO basis for 70+ countries. Analysis of these metrics enables an enhanced understanding of the digital divide of the subject country.
The M2 Coverage-QoE algorithm was developed by M2Catalyst in conjunction with industry-leading RF engineering consultants. It takes into consideration numerous elements including signal strength, signal quality, and throughput from the 4G/5G service footprint for each country’s national MNOs, the 2G/3G-only service footprint for each MNO, and the areas where mobile devices are used but have detected no service. Each 800m x 800m bin with mobile activity is then classified as to the highest mobile use case (see below) it can support, leading to its further categorization as Connected, Under-Connected, or Unconnected.
The M2 Coverage-QoE algorithm was developed by M2Catalyst in conjunction with industry-leading RF engineering consultants. It takes into consideration numerous elements including signal strength, signal quality, and throughput from the 4G/5G service footprint for each country’s national MNOs, the 2G/3G-only service footprint for each MNO, and the areas where mobile devices are used but have detected no service. Each 800m x 800m bin with mobile activity is then classified as to the highest mobile use case (see below) it can support, leading to its further categorization as Connected, Under-Connected, or Unconnected.
“The M2 crowdsourced data is so robust that we’ve been able to create the M2 Coverage-QoE algorithm which simplifies the process of identifying and predicting network performance characteristics. This means all the heavy lifting is taken care of so that mobile operators, tower companies, government authorities and others can immediately gain insights and move faster into triage and prioritization.”
- Martin Donnelly
With 20+ years of experience, Martin has specialized in establishing and overseeing wireless networks in Europe and the USA. Rooted in data analysis and automation, he's been pivotal in launching one of the telecom industry's premier big data platforms.
- Martin Donnelly
With 20+ years of experience, Martin has specialized in establishing and overseeing wireless networks in Europe and the USA. Rooted in data analysis and automation, he's been pivotal in launching one of the telecom industry's premier big data platforms.
“The M2 Coverage-QoE offers a straightforward gauge of wireless broadband quality, designed for clarity even to non-tech users. We have worked extensively with M2 to build this advanced algorithm using RF traits like signal strength, quality, and throughput. The result is an algorithm that predicts the true user experience, factoring in more than just speed.”
- Eric Law
Eric has specialized for 30 years in RF Engineering, Planning, Design, and Operations. His expertise includes big data and crowdsourced analysis, bolstered by spatial analysis skills.
- Eric Law
Eric has specialized for 30 years in RF Engineering, Planning, Design, and Operations. His expertise includes big data and crowdsourced analysis, bolstered by spatial analysis skills.
Data Collection:
The hundreds of billions of network performance measurement that constitute the data for this study were collected from M2Catalyst mobile applications installed on mobile devices during the period of January 1 through June 30, 2023. All such data collection was performed with the express permission of the mobile device owners.New Paragraph
Coverage-QoE
Coverage-QoE: Where are people trying to use their smartphones, but do not have access to a strong enough 4G/5G mobile broadband signal to support remote work, education, and telemedicine?
This location-based analysis using M2’s proprietary Coverage-QoE algorithm shows exactly where mobile phone users are connected, under-connected, and unconnected.
South Korea: Coverage-QoE (Countrywide)
South Korea: Coverage-QoE by MNO
Best Coverage-QoE
LG UPLUS
LG UPLUS
Lowest Percentage of
Unconnected Locations
Tie: KT & LG UPLUS & SKTelecom
Unconnected Locations
Tie: KT & LG UPLUS & SKTelecom
South Korea: Coverage-QoE
Location Percentages by MNO
Location Percentages by MNO
Mobile Traffic
Mobile Traffic: How often are mobile phone users connecting on 4G, 5G-SA, and 5G-NSA, as opposed to connecting on 2G and 3G, or receiving No Signal whatsoever?
Unlike other mobile traffic metrics, M2’s Mobile Traffic analysis does not take payload into consideration because of its potential to bias the analysis (faster networks allow greater data flow). We focus solely on the percentage of measurements acquired by M2 categorized by network connection type.
South Korea: Mobile Traffic Percentage by Network Type
South Korea: Mobile Traffic Percentage by MNO and Network Type
Lowest Percentage of No Signal Occurrence
Tie: KT & LG UPLUS & SKTelecom
Tie: KT & LG UPLUS & SKTelecom
Most 4G/5G Mobile Traffic
LG UPLUS
LG UPLUS
APAC Region Countries Ranked by Connected Coverage-QoE
APAC Region Countries Ranked by 4g/5g Mobile Traffic Percentage
In Summary
What will it take to bridge the Digital Divide?
What will it take to bridge the Digital Divide?
The challenging aspect to bridging the Digital Divide is clear. While building mobile infrastructure in wealthy and/or dense urban areas can be very profitable for MNOs, building in rural, remote, or disadvantaged regions will often require governmental assistance to be financially feasible.
M2’s Coverage-QoE report provides a new take on the state of the Digital Divide. We calculate the number of locations (800m x 800m bins) countrywide, on an MNO-by-MNO basis, where people have no connectivity or they’re under-connected, and therefore unable to perform remote work, access educational opportunities, or avail themselves of the convenience of telemedicine. This Coverage-QoE analysis shows a far larger Digital Divide than does our Mobile Traffic analysis, which is the more common view in mobile broadband deployment reports.
While South Korea has 98% of its connections on 4G/5G, 98% of its locations are “Connected”.
Regionally (APAC), South Korea ranks #1 out of 13 countries in 4G/5G Mobile Traffic, and #1 in Coverage-QoE.
M2Catalyst can provide the specific location data that can help the MNOs continue to bridge the South Korean Digital Divide. This chart shows the extent of the Divide.
M2’s Coverage-QoE report provides a new take on the state of the Digital Divide. We calculate the number of locations (800m x 800m bins) countrywide, on an MNO-by-MNO basis, where people have no connectivity or they’re under-connected, and therefore unable to perform remote work, access educational opportunities, or avail themselves of the convenience of telemedicine. This Coverage-QoE analysis shows a far larger Digital Divide than does our Mobile Traffic analysis, which is the more common view in mobile broadband deployment reports.
While South Korea has 98% of its connections on 4G/5G, 98% of its locations are “Connected”.
Regionally (APAC), South Korea ranks #1 out of 13 countries in 4G/5G Mobile Traffic, and #1 in Coverage-QoE.
M2Catalyst can provide the specific location data that can help the MNOs continue to bridge the South Korean Digital Divide. This chart shows the extent of the Divide.
South Korea: Coverage-QoE Location Counts by MNO (800m x 800m Bins)
For access to the complete report in PDF format, please click below.
Right to Republish M2 Reports
The M2 Crowdsourced Data, which has been developed, collected, aggregated, assembled, formatted, and supplied by M2 through the application of methods and standards of judgment developed and applied through the expenditure of substantial time, effort, and money, constitute confidential and valuable industrial property and trade secrets, and are protected by United States copyright laws and international treaty provisions as well as other intellectual property laws and treaties. All title and copyrights in and to the M2 Crowdsourced Data and any accompanying printed materials are owned by M2.
The M2 Crowdsourced Data may not be used as a component of or as a basis for any material offered for sale, license, subscription, or promotion of its business.
M2Catalyst, LLC also retains full ownership of this M2-QoE report, encompassing all intellectual property rights, data, content, graphs, and analysis. Unauthorized quoting, reproduction, distribution, or publication for commercial use is prohibited without M2Catalyst's prior written approval. Journalists wishing to cite information from our reports must provide clear source attribution and secure prior written consent from M2Catalyst. For further information or clarification, please contact us at info@m2catalyst.com
The M2 Crowdsourced Data may not be used as a component of or as a basis for any material offered for sale, license, subscription, or promotion of its business.
M2Catalyst, LLC also retains full ownership of this M2-QoE report, encompassing all intellectual property rights, data, content, graphs, and analysis. Unauthorized quoting, reproduction, distribution, or publication for commercial use is prohibited without M2Catalyst's prior written approval. Journalists wishing to cite information from our reports must provide clear source attribution and secure prior written consent from M2Catalyst. For further information or clarification, please contact us at info@m2catalyst.com
Learn more about the methodology and rights to republish for this report.
Coverage-QoE CSV Exports Available for 200+ Countries
Coverage-QoE CSV exports can provide detailed insights for any specific MNO or group of MNOs, or for all MNOs across more than 200 countries. These layers are optimized for integration into network planning and GIS tools, including Esri ArcGIS and similar platforms.
Key Features:
- Connected: Visualize areas where MNOs achieve an average throughput speed of 9 Mbps or higher, suitable for high-resolution video streaming.
- Under-Connected: Filter and pinpoint locations optimized for specific connectivity needs, such as low-resolution video, audio-only, or text-based communication.
- Unconnected: Identify regions where specific MNOs register no signal, highlighting areas of connectivity gaps.
- Under-Connected: Filter and pinpoint locations optimized for specific connectivity needs, such as low-resolution video, audio-only, or text-based communication.
- Unconnected: Identify regions where specific MNOs register no signal, highlighting areas of connectivity gaps.
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Learn More About Our Solutions
M2Catalyst is the creator of Crowd SiteIntel (CSI), a leading data analytics platform trusted by MNO and tower companies worldwide. CSI enables the analysis of 1000 sites per hour, benchmarking mobile network performance of all MNOs.
Key Features:
• No RF engineering experience required
• Instantly available in over 200 Countries
• Trillions of MNO performance measurements
• Over 40 million cell IDs mapped globally
• Benchmarking more than 800 MNOs
• Map each Cell ID by RSRP, RSRQ, SINR, range, date first detected, frequency/band channel, eNodeB and PCI
• Variety of configurations available to user
• Geographical Selection: (Country, Region, City)
• Customizable Features: (Diverse zoom levels, Various size categories)
• Aggregated data layers are available for use in other platforms such as Esri ArcGIS.
• Data Delivery Options: (One-time provision)
• Recurring updates: 3, 6, or 12 months
• Instantly available in over 200 Countries
• Trillions of MNO performance measurements
• Over 40 million cell IDs mapped globally
• Benchmarking more than 800 MNOs
• Map each Cell ID by RSRP, RSRQ, SINR, range, date first detected, frequency/band channel, eNodeB and PCI
• Variety of configurations available to user
• Geographical Selection: (Country, Region, City)
• Customizable Features: (Diverse zoom levels, Various size categories)
• Aggregated data layers are available for use in other platforms such as Esri ArcGIS.
• Data Delivery Options: (One-time provision)
• Recurring updates: 3, 6, or 12 months
For a demo and a detailed discussion on your data configuration requirements, please contact us using the form below.
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