Ministry of Science and ICT applies 60GHz unspecified band beamforming technology
Expansion of the mobile backhaul market as an alternative to small cell 5G base stations

An institutional foundation is being established for the use of low-cost, ultra-high-speed 60GHz band wireless backhaul to enable the wireless transmission of internet data using unlicensed frequency bands.
Internet data used on devices such as smartphones and computers is transmitted and received through multiple communication networks, so a transmission network called a "backhaul," which connects edge networks (such as base stations) with the backbone network (the highest-level network), is effective.

Until now, backhaul has mainly utilized wired networks such as optical cables and copper wires, or microwave (M/W) equipment in the 1–40 GHz band for long-distance communication of tens of kilometers.

However, in the recent 5G mobile communication service environment, data traffic is surging due to the transmission of large-capacity content, and as backhaul investment costs are expected to increase in high-density areas such as cities, the demand for 60GHz band-based wireless backhaul is growing to operate inefficient communication networks with improved performance. The performance of the backhaul, an intermediate step, has become important for the efficient transmission of high-efficiency data.

Accordingly, the Ministry of Science and ICT revised the technical standards for the 60GHz unspecified band (57~66GHz) to promote wireless backhaul.

A clear basis was established for applying beam-forming technology, which creates transmit and receive beams in a specific desired direction to reduce the cost of building a wireless backhaul network, and the output standard was raised from a maximum of 57dBm to 85dBm to expand the radio wave reach, bringing it up to the level of major countries such as the United States.


The 60GHz band is an unlicensed frequency that anyone can freely use without additional cost. Although its communication range is shorter than that of expensive, large microwave equipment used for long-distance communication, it utilizes a wide bandwidth, resulting in faster data transmission speeds.

In addition, unlike wired networks, wireless does not require network burial, so the cost and time required for network construction can be drastically reduced. Wireless backhaul utilizing the 60GHz band has value as a complement to wired backhaul, and can be widely used in rural areas, densely populated urban areas, and smart cities where it is difficult to install wired networks due to reasons such as economic feasibility.

An official from the Ministry of Science and ICT stated, “As 5G base stations become small cells due to the surge in data traffic and the increased use of high-frequency bands with short radio wave reach, the industry expects the mobile backhaul market utilizing the 60GHz band to expand as well,” adding, “We expect that through this regulatory improvement, we will be able to improve internet speeds in densely populated areas such as urban centers at a low cost while simultaneously eliminating blind spots in internet access.”