LG U+ has the fastest 5G network in Seoul by delivering the fastest 5G speeds, lowest 5G latency, and outstanding 5G data reliability, among all networks, according to a report from RootMetrics by IHS Markit.

South Korean operators KT, LG U+ and SK Telecom launched 5G services in April 2019 beating US-based telecom operators.

SK Telecom and KT last week said their mobile ARPU has increased after the launch of 5G services in select cities in South Korea.

LG Uplus earlier said it will have more than 7,000 base stations by the end of December. It has set up 4,100 5G base stations in 11 cities including Seoul, Incheon, Daejeon, Bucheon, Goyang, Gwangmyeong, Hanam and other cities in Gyeonggi Province.

RootMetrics by IHS Markit, which conducted the test from June 28 to July 6, 2019 using LG V50 ThinQ 5G smartphones, said each operator’s median download speeds on 5G were much faster than those on non-5G mode or LTE.

All three operators were on 5G during at least 42.2 percent of RootMetrics download tests.

LG U+ offered the most impressive combination of fast speeds, low latency and strong reliability among all three networks.

KT and LG U+ led the way with latency, with both operators’ 5G median download latency twice as fast as that recorded in non-5G mode.

LG U+, KT and SK Telecom provided significantly faster speeds on 5G compared to non-5G mode.

The report said LG U+ had 5G median download speed of 426.4 Mbps that would take 12 seconds to download a 600MB television show. In contrast, downloading the same show at the operator’s non-5G mode median download speed of 96.1 Mbps would take 51 seconds.

LG U+ delivered the fastest 5G maximum download speed at 902.7 Mbps, which indicates excellent potential for the operator’s 5G experience going forward.

Though KT delivered the slowest 5G median download speed across all networks at 163 Mbps, it would still only take about 30 seconds to download a television show at this speed. SK Telecom delivered strong speeds that were faster than those of KT but not as fast as those of LG U+.

At SK Telecom’s 5G median download speed of 286.9 Mbps, downloading a television show would take about 18 seconds as compared with 42 seconds to download the same show at SK Telecom’s non-5G mode median download speed of 115.3 Mbps.

“The 5G speeds we found in South Korea will make consumer data experiences much faster than ever before. But 5G is about more than just speed. It’s also about reliability and latency, and all three South Korean operators delivered promising results,” said Francis Sideco, vice president, technology at IHS Markit.

RootMetrics measured South Korean 5G performance indoors and outdoors in and around Seoul: tourist areas, business districts and other high-population areas.

RootMetrics also tested 5G performance while driving in suburban areas around Seoul and on the Seoul-Busan KTX transit line.

RootMetrics scouters drove 1,252 kilometers, visited 30 indoor locations and conducted more than 16,000 tests of 5G performance.