(Seoul = Yonhap News) Reporter Kim Byeong-gyu = A Japanese government survey found that smartphone mobile communication rates in Seoul are the highest among major cities in the world, along with New York.
On the 27th, Japan's Ministry of Internal Affairs and Communications recently released a report called 'Internal and External Price Difference Survey on Telecommunication Services' comparing 4G and 5G mobile communication rates in six cities, including Seoul in Korea, Tokyo in Japan, New York in the U.S., London in the U.K., Paris in France, and Dรผsseldorf in Germany.
We compared the amount paid by consumers by data usage (based on the end of last year, new contracts, and the cheapest rate) for the companies with the largest market share in each country. When the monthly data provided for 4G was 20GB (gigabyte), the amount paid by consumers at SK Telecom in Seoul was 6,916 yen (60,846 won), the highest among those surveyed.
New York Verizon (6,684 yen) was a close second, followed by Dusseldorf Telekom Deutschland (4,037 yen) and London Telefonica UK (3,259 yen).
Seoul's communication costs were 2.3 and 2.8 times higher than the 5th and 6th places, Tokyo NTT Docomo (2,974 yen) and Paris Orange (2,495 yen), respectively.
Even if the usage amount was increased to 50GB based on the same 4G standard, Seoul's communication costs were at the highest level. Seoul had the highest rate at 6,916 yen, followed by Dusseldorf (6,732 yen), New York (6,684 yen), Tokyo (4,954 yen), London (3,686 yen), and Paris (3,465 yen).
Seoul's communication costs were still high, ranking second for data usage (based on 4G) of 100GB and third for unlimited data plans, although it was out of the list of most expensive cities.
Based on the unlimited data plan, Seoul was 8,754 yen (about 77,017 won), lower than Dusseldorf (11,450 yen) and Tokyo (9,332 yen), but higher than New York (6,684 yen) and London (4,966 yen). Orange in Paris did not offer an unlimited plan.
The amount of data provided in this survey is based on rate plan and does not represent actual data usage by consumers.
According to the results of a survey conducted by the Consumer Federation of Korea in October last year, the median data usage of consumers was 28GB, and 40.4% were using unlimited plan plans.
In the case of the 5G plan, although it was to a lesser extent than the 4G plan, communication costs in Seoul were still expensive.
Seoul's communication cost was 4,902 yen (approximately 43,127 won) for 20GB, second place (1st New York 6,684 yen), and 50GB was 5,603 yen (approximately 49,295 won), third place (1st place Dรผsseldorf 6,732 yen, 2nd place New York 6,684 yen).
The unlimited data plan in Seoul (7,237 yen) was the third most expensive, following Dusseldorf (11,450 yen) and Tokyo (9,332 yen). New York and London were 6,684 yen and 4,966 yen, respectively.
The Ministry of Internal Affairs and Communications also compared the consumer payments of operators ranked 3rd or 4th in market share in the six countries surveyed, and the spending of LG U+ consumers in Korea was on the high side.
In both 4G and 5G plans, it ranked second for 20GB, 50GB, and 100GB, respectively, and the unlimited data plan was the most expensive.
Looking more closely at the 5G plan, 20GB was 4,202 yen (about 36,969 won), next to New York (5,656 yen), but more expensive than Tokyo (2,974 yen), London (1,422 yen), Paris (1,108 yen), and Dรผsseldorf (673 yen).
The payment amount for the unlimited data plan was 6,350 yen (approximately 55,867 won), which was similar only in New York (5,757 yen), but the difference was large compared to Tokyo (4,337 yen), London (2,845 yen), and Dรผsseldorf (2,694 yen). In the case of Paris, there was no unlimited data plan.
