South Korea is Launching the World's First National 5G Network

South Korea launches the world's first fully mobile 5G mobile networks on Friday. Ultra-fast communications introduced through fifth-generation wireless technology will ultimately affect everything from toasters to phones; from electric cars to power grids.

But while South Korea won the race to be the first to provide the consumer with this opportunity, it is only part of a wider battle that puts the United States against China.

South Korea has long been a reputed country with unusual technical skills, and Seoul has made it a 5G priority as it seeks to boost economic growth.

The system will give smartphones nearly instant connectivity - 20 times faster than the existing 4G - allowing users to download whole movies in less than a second.

In the same way that 3G enabled widespread mobile access to the internet, and 4G created new applications, 5G will mark a new level of connectivity that allows for unknown speed so far.

More than three million South Koreans will switch to 5G by the end of this year, according to forecasts. So far, no mobile network has been offering national 5G access.