StageX, which started out as the fourth mobile carrier, revealed its ambition to provide real benefits to customers by offering data for free in hotspot areas before settling on the 28GHz service.

StageX announced on the 1st that it plans to provide free data based on the corresponding frequency within hotspots to all subscribers in the first half of next year until the 28Ghz service ecosystem is established in the market.

Stage X was confirmed as the 4th mobile carrier in the final bid for the 28GHz frequency auction last February with a price of 430.1 billion won. Stage X has expressed its ambition to provide not only B2B services but also B2C services using 5G 28GHz. Stage X stated, “This decision was made to allow more customers to experience new technologies and innovative benefits as Stage X enters the market as a new carrier based on innovation in communication SW technology.”

Accordingly, StageX subscribers will be able to use 5G based on the 28GHz frequency, which is faster than existing 5G, for free within 28GHz hotspot areas starting in the first half of 2025.

Hotspot locations are areas where the 28GHz frequency can be utilized effectively due to less frequency diffraction and reflection, such as subways, airports, concert halls, and densely populated areas. For example, in the case of subways, StageX is reviewing and increasing the priority for installing base stations to implement 28GHz backhaul Wi-Fi in subways.

A StageX official said, “StageX’s top priority is ‘customer experience.’ We want to innovate the consumer communication experience through real 5G while providing real benefits at the same time,” adding, “We will be able to provide a communication experience far superior to existing 5G.”

The 28GHz frequency allocated to StageX has an ultra-wide bandwidth of 800MHz, which is eight times wider than the approximately 100MHz bandwidth of the current mid-to-low-band 5G, and has the advantage of enabling much faster communication speeds than the existing commercial 5G networks. StageX stated, “Now that we have secured the domestic exclusive rights to the 28GHz frequency, we will do our best to simultaneously lead mmWave technology and ecosystem and, through this, to settle into the market early.”

However, the 5G 28GHz frequency band has a short radio transmission distance, so base stations must be installed densely to provide stable services nationwide. In order to provide nationwide network services in the future, not just in hotspot areas, there are still cost challenges, including the cost of installing base stations nationwide. StageX must pay the final bid price of 430.1 billion won in installments over five years. This year, it must pay 43 billion won, which is 10% of the bid price. StageX also needs to secure 28GHz terminals and discover killer content for the currently lacking 5G 28GHz band.

A StageX official said, “We expect to reach approximately 3 million subscribers within three years, and we plan to maximize coverage by building 28GHz backhaul Wi-Fi in subways and working closely with the government and major terminal manufacturers to expand the introduction of 28GHz capable terminals. “This will be a turning point in activating 28GHz services,” he said.