[Edaily Reporter Yoon Jeong-hoon] The government has lifted the restrictions on the "net neutrality" principle—which it has maintained since its introduction in 2011—for the first time, limiting the exemption to emergency firefighting situations. This move recognizes a special service that prioritizes calls between firefighters and emergency callers above all else, even if general user traffic surges during major disasters. This measure is significant not only for strengthening public safety networks but also for establishing an institutional foundation that allows telecommunications companies to apply "network slicing," a core 5G technology, to their services.

First Exception to ‘Net Neutrality’ Recognized… Securing the Golden Hour at Disaster Sites

The Ministry of Science and ICT announced that it has confirmed the “Emergency Rescue Communication Priority Transmission Service,” proposed by the National Fire Agency and the three major telecom companies, meets the requirements for “special services” under the network neutrality guidelines, and that the service will officially launch on the 10th.

Net neutrality is the principle that telecommunications carriers must treat all internet traffic equally, regardless of content or provider. While the government has allowed “special services” as exceptions through its guidelines—limited to specific purposes requiring separate quality management—this is the first instance in 15 years since the system was established where a service has actually met the requirements and been approved.

With the introduction of this service, firefighters’ communications will remain uninterrupted even in extreme situations where wireless traffic in a specific area temporarily surges due to large-scale fires or accidents involving large crowds.

The three major telecom companies have equipped firefighters’ devices (corporate phones, in-vehicle navigation systems, etc.) with dedicated USIM cards that distinguish them from general subscribers. This ensures that even when network congestion reaches its peak, firefighters’ signals are transmitted with the highest priority, thereby reliably guaranteeing calls with emergency callers and real-time data transmission with emergency medical dispatchers.

This service was initially proposed by #LG Uplus to the National Fire Agency as part of its corporate social responsibility initiatives, paving the way for the initiative. Subsequently, #SK Telecom and #KT joined in succession, expanding the initiative to all three major telecom companies. In particular, KT, which owns approximately 60% (about 8,400 units) of the National Fire Agency’s operational devices in Korea, completed a pilot project at the Jeonnam Fire Headquarters—the first of its kind in the country—using “Enterprise-Dedicated 5G SA (Standalone Mode)” exclusively throughout the entire process, thereby minimizing data latency.

Kim Dong-gu, a professor in the Department of Electrical and Electronic Engineering at Yonsei University, commented, “This initiative marks the first application of network slicing technology—which can only be implemented on a true 5G SA core network—to a national critical safety network, serving as an essential stepping stone for the future evolution toward a software-centric 6G era.”

‘Network Slicing’… Prospects for Advanced Communication Services, Including Autonomous Driving

The telecommunications industry expects that the recognition of exceptions to network neutrality, which began in the public sector, will lead to the opening of the ‘network slicing’ market in the private business sector.

Network slicing is a technology that divides a single 5G network into separate segments based on service objectives and operational characteristics, enabling the creation of an optimized communication environment for each service. This means it is now possible to simultaneously provide services requiring ultra-low latency and high reliability—such as autonomous driving and cloud gaming—alongside services demanding high data speeds—such as AR/VR streaming and live broadcasts of high-definition sports events—while ensuring the quality of each.

Once the three major telecom companies complete their 5G SA deployments by the end of this year, they will be able to provide customized quality assurance tailored to specific agencies and users more efficiently, paving the way for the advancement of communication services, starting with the public sector.

Oh Taek-kyun, Executive Vice President and Head of KT’s Network Strategy Division, stated, “This service is an achievement that combines KT’s infrastructure with 5G SA technology to elevate the response capabilities of the national safety system to the next level,” adding, “We will continue to expand differentiated technologies such as app slicing to solidify our leading position in the telecommunications sector, including the public and safety sectors.”

Nam Seok, Director General of Communications Policy at the Ministry of Science and ICT, remarked, “This emergency rescue communication priority transmission service is the first application in the public safety sector that meets the special service requirements under the network neutrality guidelines.” He added, “We expect that even during disasters, communications between firefighters and general users will be maintained more reliably, contributing to the protection of citizens’ lives and safety.”