South Korean mobile operator KT claimed a peak data rate of 1Gb/s on its commercial 5G network in Seoul using Samsung’s first compatible smartphone, the Galaxy S10.

In a joint statement, the companies said the network uses the vendor’s 5G New Radio end-to-end network equipment, including radio and virtual core gear. The network runs on the 3.5GHz band.

The companies said they focused on giving end-users a real-world outdoor mobile experience, achieving an overall speed of 1Gb/s speed during the trial which took place in the Gwanghwamun district of Seoul.

All three major mobile operators in South Korea simultaneously turned on their 5G networks in December 2018. While they claimed this provided the first commercial services in the world using 3GPP standards, coverage was limited and availability was restricted to businesses using mobile routers.

KT announced yesterday (26 March) its 5G network will be ready for end-user mobile service in 85 cities, including the Seoul metropolitan area, by end-March. This includes 5G service coverage expansion throughout a number of major national highway and high-speed railways connecting cities.

In addition, the operator said it will gradually cover 464 colleges and universities, subways, landmark buildings and parts of mountainous areas.

The operator last week announced Ericsson as a key supplier of 5G network equipment.

In mid-March rival SK Telecom and Samsung completed device interoperability tests using dual connectivity technology on 4G and 5G networks, claiming a peak data speed of 2.6Gb/s using a Galaxy S10 smartphone.