The Ministry of Science and ICT announced on the 31st that it has established the 2025 aerial cable maintenance plan and will promote maintenance projects targeting 355 sections in 51 municipalities nationwide. This plan aims to systematically maintain outdated and faulty aerial cables that disrupt urban aesthetics and threaten public safety.
The maintenance targets are selected by reflecting the requests of local governments and field surveys. Various methods such as dismantling terminated lines, tidying up routes, and undergrounding will be used in coordination with telecommunications operators. In particular, regarding terminated communication lines, the government plans to dismantle 1 million lines in 2024 and dismantle 2 million lines annually from 2025 to 2027, aiming for a total maintenance of 7 million lines.
The ‘directional drilling method (HDD)’ will be introduced in underground sections. This method installs conduits underground without excavating the surface, minimizing road damage and inconvenience to citizens while also shortening construction periods.
This maintenance will not be limited to short-term projects; it will be linked to the establishment of the third mid-to-long-term aerial cable maintenance plan from 2026 to 2030. The Ministry of Science and ICT plans to ensure the continuity and systematic nature of maintenance projects and to establish a maintenance system without blind spots nationwide.
To enhance maintenance performance, the government will inspect maintenance results and provide administrative guidance and technical support for unsatisfactory sections. In addition, the government is promoting the revision of related laws such as the Information and Communications Construction Business Act to structurally resolve the problem of the proliferation of communication facilities.
Mr. Ryu Je-myung, head of the Network Policy Bureau of the Ministry of Science and ICT, emphasized, “The network infrastructure that led our country to become a powerhouse in information and communication technology is now threatening public safety as time passes. We will prepare fundamental measures along with maintenance operators to ensure that public life is not threatened.”