Introduction
The Smart Seoul Network (S-NeT) is smart city telecommunications infrastructure established by the Seoul Metropolitan Government (SMG) which can provide various smart city services, such as municipal broadband networks (LAN+wireless). It is the basis of Seoul as a future smart city and ensures citizens' rights to broadband and address countless urban issues.
Background
- Communication became a necessary public resource due to the rise in use of mediated technology amidst the COVID-19 pandemic, and the national and local governments are legally obligated to address the digital divide as the right to broadband is part of citizens' right to information.
- Need to establish a next-gen municipal broadband networks (LAN+wireless) to establish future smart city infrastructure
- Surge in demand for new technologies (e.g. ICT) in all administrative sectors such as transportation, environment, safety, and welfare
- Relieving the increased burden of broadband service bills and the ever-widening digital divide in the post-pandemic era
- KRW 39 trillion in total broadband service bills and KRW 158,000 monthly broadband service bills per household (5.2% of total expenses) in 2021
- Record-high wireless data usage of 880,000 TB in March 2022
Among broadband subscribers, 69.1% are on limited plans and 30.9% on unlimited plans with a continuously increasing data gap of 29.5 GB - The digital divide increases concerns of worsening the gap in all sectors, such as education, welfare, and safety.
Details
1. Service
- ① Municipal broadband networks across Seoul and utilizing as future smart city infrastructure
- Connection with citywide broadband networks (4,435km) + new expansion in urban hubs (1,047km)
- 4,801km (2020, +366km) → 5,031km (2021, +230km) → 5,171km (2022, +140km) → 5,482km (after 2023, +311km)
- ② Completely ensuring citizens' right to broadband through expanded installation of public WiFi across Seoul
- 20,472 hotspots (2020, +5,149) → 23,465 hotspots (2021, +2,993) → 29,465 hotspots (2022, +6,000) → 32,655 hotspots (after 2023, +3,190 units)
- ③ Citizen-centered policies based on urban data by installing public IoT networks
2. Progress
The SMG is operating high-speed municipal broadband networks which connects the city with 25 districts (421 km) for administrative tasks, website, and CCTV services. S-NeT measures a total of 5,048 km of municipal broadband connection, which links with districts and community centers' administrative and CCTV networks (4,627 km).
Various e-government services can be connected without limit through the high-speed broadband networks operated from 2003, saving KRW 173.5 billion in telecommunications compared to rental mobile virtual networks
Additionally, the SMG operates a total of 28,006 public WiFi hotspots in major streets, traditional markets, parks, riversides, plazas, welfare facilities, public buildings, buses, etc.
- ▶ Municipal broadband networks: 5,048 km total
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(Unit: km; Mar. 31, 2022)
Municipal broadband networks Municipal broadband networks Sum Seoul ↔ Districts
Administrative info networksDistricts (25) 5,048 421 4,627
- ▶ Public WiFi hotspots: 28,006 total
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(Unit: hotspots; Apr. 30, 2022)
Public WiFi hotspots 총 계 19,027 fixed hotspots 8,979 mobile
hotspots10,046 outdoor hotspot 8,981 indoor hotspots Major streets Traditional market Parks, riversides Tourist attractions Bus stops Welfare centers Community centers City buses Local buses 28,006 3,329 636 2,150 1,389 2,542 4,021 4,960 7,393 1,586
- ▶ Public WiFi hotspots by district: 19,027 (excl. 8,979 mobile hotspots )
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(Unit: hotspots; Apr. 30, 2022)
Public WiFi hotspots by district Jongno-gu Jung-gu Yongsan-gu Seongdong-gu Gwangjin-gu Dongdaemun-gu Jungnang-gu Seongbuk-gu Gangbuk-gu Dobong-gu Nowon-gu Eunpyeong-gu Seodaemun-gu 454 1,257 649 1,056 598 518 557 431 483 813 1,049 1,079 625 Mapo-gu Yangcheon-gu Gangseo-gu Guro-gu Geumcheon-gu Yeongdeungpo-gu Dongjak-gu Gwanak-gu Seocho-gu Gangnam-gu Songpa-gu Gangdong-gu Seoul Grand Park 856 834 1,520 958 577 699 376 498 709 746 838 834 13
Anticipated Effects
- Enhancement of administrative efficiency through integrated connection and operation of separate broadband networks for each institution
- Reduction in costs such as communication costs from rental networks by actively utilizing municipal broadband networks
- Relieving the data gap for the information vulnerable class and ensuring citizens' right to broadband
- Securing future smart city infrastructure which provides smart city services in various areas, such as transportation, safety, environment, and welfare
- Enhancing Seoul's global city competitiveness and brand recognition