▲ Interior view of Yongsan Radio Wave Playground


Jeonpa Playground newly constructed in the Seoul metropolitan area and 2 other locations
Total project cost of up to 12 billion won per location over 3 years

The Ministry of Science and ICT (hereinafter MSIT) is expanding the 'Radio Playground,' a large-scale electromagnetic shielding facility, to areas outside the metropolitan area to allow companies in the radio wave sector to conduct free radio wave testing.

The Ministry of Science and ICT announced on the 21st that it plans to promote the 'Establishment and Operation of Regional Radio Playgrounds' project to improve accessibility for local radio companies and create a sustainable corporate growth environment centered on the region.

This project includes a plan to prioritize the establishment of additional 'regional hub playgrounds' in two regions outside the metropolitan area, specifically Gangwon, Chungcheong, Gyeongsang, and Jeolla/Jeju, in order to meet the continuous demand for radio wave testing from local radio companies and improve accessibility.

The 'Regional Hub Radio Wave Playground Establishment and Operation Project' is scheduled to be implemented over three years with a total project cost of up to 12 billion won per location, in a 50:50 matching ratio between the government and local governments.

Through this project, we plan to enhance the region's radio wave testing capabilities by supporting all stages, from the design and construction to the operation of the radio wave playground.

This project aims to provide a testing environment for radio wave utilization devices by adhering to international standard specifications (IEEE 299) or higher.Along with the electromagnetic shielding room and various measuring instruments, it supports testing and measurement, including methods for utilizing measuring instruments, configuration of the test environment, and setting of test scenarios.

The Yongsan Radio Wave Playground, currently in operation, supports radio wave testing for various convergence devices, such as interference between IoT devices, drone direction finding, and radar sensors for autonomous driving.

According to the Ministry of Science and ICT, the performance of the Yongsan Radio Wave Playground in 2021 totaled 50 cases, including 17 IoT cases and 13 drone cases.

Choi Woo-hyeok, Director General of the Radio Policy Bureau at the Ministry of Science and ICT, stated, “It is necessary to expand infrastructure to meet the demand for regional radio wave testing,” adding, “Through the establishment of regional hub radio wave playgrounds, we will provide an environment for small and medium-sized radio wave companies in the region to conduct radio wave testing, and we will continuously expand support in the future based on industrial demand.”

The announcement for this project can be viewed on the websites of the Ministry of Science and ICT and the Korea Radio Promotion Association starting today (the 24th), and specific application procedures and support details will be provided through an online briefing session at 3 p.m. on the 26th.