If you’re reading this sentence via your smartphone and it took a lot of time to load, keep in mind that a South Korean opened this page in milliseconds.
South Korean mobile providers SK Telecom and LG’s U+ launched a whopping 300Mbps mobile Internet connection service. Take note, this is on mobile – making it way faster compared to your broadband at home. Currently, most of the world enjoys 4G connection speeds, with 75Mbps. Considering that mobile Internet at this speed is already pretty fast, South Korean mobile carriers put all the other telecommunication companies to shame.
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Dominance in Connection Speed
South Korea is consistently the world leader in terms of Internet connection speeds. Compared to Korea’s technology, other countries seem to be stuck in the dial-up age. That being said, they use technology called LTE-Advanced 3-band carrier aggregation tech, which is rumored to be supported by most newly released smartphones and phablets, like the Samsung Galaxy S5, Galaxy Note 4, and the new generation iPhones. You could even check out new phones and gadgets like these if they’re compatible.
There’s a catch though: before anyone can enjoy this, the LTE-Advanced technology will have to be standardized worldwide and adopted by all smartphone makers, not just in South Korea.
With all that has been said, what are some of the implications and hypothetical scenarios if you’re using this service?
No Gaming Lag
If you’ve ever wondered why South Korea is home to the world’s best gamers and online game makers, this can partially be attributed to their Internet connection speeds. There was a joke during the pinnacle of Starcraft’s popularity that if you’re pitted against a Korean, you’re better off quitting the game instead of suffering utter humiliation. Nowadays, multiplayer online battle arenas (or MOBA) tournaments are dominated by South Koreans, as well as first person shooter (FPS) games.
In a gaming scope, 300Mbps will already assure a smooth gaming experience, regardless if you’re using a mobile phone, tablet, console or PC. Keep in mind that video games don’t make people violent – lag and slow data speed do. That being said, nothing feels better than snuggling under the bed sheets and playing a game on your phone, right?
Stream and Download Full Movies in a Matter of Seconds
Possibly one of the best things that has happened to the America’s digital world is Netflix, a service which allows you to stream an unlimited amount of movies and TV series for a set amount every month. Although connectivity speeds are not usually a problem, we’re certain that anyone using the service can download faster. The same can be said when downloading games, music and movies, particularly in Apple’s iTunes and in Google Play.
Let’s say you bought a movie from iTunes, and the file size is over 800MB. If you’re with SK Telecom or LG U+, you’re able to download the movies in 22 seconds minimum. You’ll will be able to download all sorts of content without having to complain about the time spent doing so.
South Korea is already reaping the fruits of this service, and following suit are telco companies from Hong Kong and Singapore, who are eyeing to provide the same mobile data speed for their consumers. Although the rest of the world is far from getting this type of service, having this will definitely break virtual barriers, maximize social media, and make information available to everyone – in insane speeds at that.
