SK Telecom has declared the end of its 3G service by the end of 2027 and halted new sign-ups for 3G services. With the industry leader taking action, KT is expected to soon begin procedures to terminate its 3G service. This marks 23 years since 3G services were introduced in Korea in 2003.
On the 20th, SKT announced that, effective immediately, it would halt new sign-ups, number transfers, and device changes (including SIM card replacements) for 3G handsets and LTE handsets not supporting HD Voice. The company also pledged to support affected customers in transitioning to LTE and 5G services.
An SKT official stated, "We will gradually terminate 3G services by the end of 2027," adding, "To prevent any harm to customers, we will support 3G users in switching to LTE and 5G, and we will also apply for approval from the Ministry of Science and ICT to end 3G services."
A KT official similarly said, "We are preparing to halt new 3G sign-ups," and added, "We are reviewing various measures to minimize inconvenience to users and will announce our position accordingly."
3G services were introduced in Korea in 2003. Both SKT and KT launched the service that same year, while LG U+ began with 4G services and never operated a 3G network.
With the introduction of 3G services on communication networks that previously operated only with 2G, video calling became possible, and mobile internet went mainstream. However, in recent years, driven by the advent of the AI era, both the number of 3G subscribers and traffic have continuously declined. Additionally, over two decades after its introduction, handsets and equipment have become outdated.
In particular, with the widespread adoption of AI (artificial intelligence) and the arrival of the physical AI era, the three major mobile carriers are required to adopt 5G SA (standalone mode) by the end of this year. As communication environments shift toward next-generation networks, 3G services are being gradually phased out.
According to statistics from the Ministry of Science and ICT, as of June, there were 328,124 domestic 3G mobile phone lines, representing just 0.6% of all mobile phone lines. In SKT's case, among approximately 30 million total subscriber lines, only about 130,000 are 3G lines, most of which are IoT (Internet of Things) lines.
An official from the Ministry of Science and ICT stated, "No domestic mobile carrier has yet submitted an application to terminate 3G services," adding, "We will carefully examine whether adequate measures for user protection are in place before deciding on approval for service termination."
Globally, there is also a trend toward phasing out 3G services. Major global telecommunications providers such as Verizon, T-Mobile, and AT&T in the United States; NTT Docomo, SoftBank, and KDDI in Japan; and O2 in the United Kingdom have terminated their 3G services, citing declining user numbers, improved spectrum utilization efficiency, and the need for sustainable network operations.
in TECH
