Hundreds of 5G users file joint lawsuit over disappointing network services

Hundreds of 5G mobile users filed a joint lawsuit Wednesday against the country's three major mobile carriers -- SK Telecom Co., KT Corp. and LG Uplus Corp. -- over disappointing quality of the latest generation networks, according to their legal representative.

Around 520 people are taking part in the joint lawsuit, which argues that carriers have offered incomplete 5G services, leading to poor network quality, Kim Jin-wook, an attorney at law firm Joowon, said.

"The action seeks compensation (from carriers) for failing to meet their obligations," Kim said. "We plan to file further legal action in stages with more users."

In 2019, South Korea first commercialized 5G networks and carriers faced consumer ire for disappointing network speeds.

Carriers had initially advertised that 5G's theoretical speeds could be 20 times faster than 4G LTE, but a government report found that 5G was around four times faster than the previous generation network.

As of end-April, the country had over 15 million 5G users, accounting for 21 percent of total mobile users, compared with around 51 million 4G users. (Yonhap)