LG Uplus said on Tuesday it introduced a "priority network access service for firefighters" to reduce inconvenience caused by communications congestion during disaster response and to improve on-site response efficiency and safety.

The service supports smooth communications needed for firefighting duties even when mobile phone use surges due to large fires or accidents. When traffic from general users suddenly concentrates during a disaster, call connection delays or unstable data use can occur, making it key to secure communications stability needed for public safety work.

The service is designed to allow firefighters' calls and data use in disaster situations to take place in a relatively stable environment. The company said this would reduce the burden from communications quality deterioration during disaster response, including on-site command, situation reporting and coordination among personnel.

LG Uplus signed a business agreement with the National Fire Agency in October last year and promoted plans to provide firefighters with a priority communications-use environment in disaster situations. After that, the three mobile carriers jointly began building related services. This is the first time the telecoms industry has worked with the National Fire Agency to push a priority communications system for firefighters.

LG Uplus has been replacing SIM cards used at firefighting sites since last month, starting with the Changwon Fire Headquarters in South Gyeongsang Province. Firefighters are expected to be able to feel improved communications stability from the dispatch stage through on-site response to the end of the situation.

The launch of the service also received support from the Ministry of Science and ICT. The ministry proceeded with policy support and a system review to strengthen communications quality in disaster and safety areas.

LG Uplus plans to strengthen the role of communications in disaster and safety fields and expand cooperation with the public sector based on the service launch.

Kyung-joong Park (박경중), head of external cooperation at LG Uplus and an executive director, said, "In disaster scenes, communications are the basic infrastructure for on-site response." He said, "We will support firefighters so they can focus on their duties in a more stable communications environment through cooperation with relevant ministries."