South Korea targeted deployment of the world’s first commercial 6G network in 2028, with the government earmarking KRW220 billion ($193.7 million) to develop the core standards and technologies over five years, Aju Business Daily reported.

Science and ICT Minister Lim Hye-sook reportedly stated the nation should take a lead because 6G will be a foundation for digital innovation.

Aju Business Daily reported the ministry outlined a 6G R&D action plan during a strategy meeting involving the government, industry leaders and experts.

It recently agreed a cooperation with the US on 6G standards and plans for similar partnerships with Finland and China.

A major objective of the project is to link satellites and terrestrial networks into a single network.

Domestic vendor Samsung previously demonstrated an end-to-end 140GHz wireless link using beamforming in terahertz spectrum as part of its 6G research.

Formal specifications for 6G aren’t expected until around 2026, but momentum accelerated in recent months as major players look to introduce commercial service around 2030.

Organisations in Japan and Finland agreed to collaborate on relevant standards earlier this month, while China’s government and industry experts outlined a plan in March to advance 6G between 2021 and 2025.