South Korea's move to offer an unlicensed 6 gigahertz (GHz) frequency band will lead to superfast Wi-Fi services across the country and the building of 5G network-based smart factories, the science ministry said Thursday.

The spectrum, ranging from 5,925 MHz through 7,125 MHz, will open for indoor use in September, with the entire frequency to be made available by 2022, according to the Ministry of Science and ICT.

South Korea, the first country to begin commercial 5G services in April 3 last year, has been pushing to nurture related industries.

The unlicensed frequency band will make Wi-Fi speed five times faster than before, and 5G compatible smart factories using the superfast connectivity run at lower costs, the ministry said.

The first Wi-Fi frequency band upgrade in 16 years will fuel the growth of virtual and augmented reality devices and services. (Yonhap)