KT Corp, LG Uplus launch nationwide NB-IoT network in Korea

South Korea’s KT Corp and LG Uplus have jointly established what they claim to be the world’s first nationwide commercial NB-IoT network, local press reported. The two Asian telecoms operators had started to deploy this technology eight months ago. The NB-IoT network currently covers capital Seoul and all metropolitan areas, plus small towns, ports and roads. The two telcos said that they expect to expand the commercial NB-IoT services later this year to include remote gas meter reading, vehicle management/tracking and other utility meter management applications. “Based on leadership of NB-IoT technologies, we are going to seek to coexist with small and medium South Korean companies continuously and we are planning to actively support these companies to enter global markets,” LG Uplus’ director of IoT, An Sung-joon, said.