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SK Telecom and Singtel are developing AI and orchestration technologies required to pave the way for telcos to easily transition to 6G
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SK Telecom was one of the earliest operators to launch 5G in 2018
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The South Korean telco is forging ahead in AI, most recently with a $200 million investment in Smart Global Holdings (SGH)
South Korea’s SK Telecom and Singapore’s Singtel have signed a two-year Memorandum of Understanding (MoU) to use artificial intelligence (AI) and orchestration tools and strengthen their knowledge and expertise of new technologies, like network virtualization, required to transition to 6G.
“The partners will also work together on developing differentiated, innovative solutions to elevate their network capabilities, such as Edge-AI infrastructure, which reduces computational burden concentrated on the cloud through edge computing and performs AI inference by combining AI solutions,” a press release about the partnership stated.
The initiative will help the two service providers improve connectivity, provide AI offerings to customers, and enhance customer experience by enabling them to restore services quickly.
SK Telecom and Singtel will also jointly develop a whitepaper on their progress in areas such as virtualization, slicing and network evolution, which they believe will help other service providers benefit from 5G’s capabilities and prepare for 6G.
6G and AI investments abound
SK Telecom released a whitepaper last year to present the key requirements for 6G standardization. It was also one of the earliest operators to launch 5G in 2018.
Separately, SK Telecom invested $200 million in Smart Global Holdings (SGH), an integrated data center solution provider, to offer new services to its customers. This is one of the largest artificial intelligence (AI) investments SK Telecom has made in an AI company to advance in the global AI infrastructure market.
"By combining the strengths of both companies, we aim to achieve efficient, high-performance network construction, enhance network stability, and discover new network-based services," said Kang Jong-ryeol, head of ICT infra at SK Telecom. "Additionally, we will strive to make significant advancements in next-generation communication technologies, including AI-powered wired and wireless infrastructure."
Tay Yeow Lian, managing director of networks at Singtel, added, “As a global leader in 5G technology, we’re keen to capitalize on the myriad capabilities this technology has to offer, especially in the areas of network slicing and with the inclusion of AI."
Singtel is "looking to not only enhance the experience of our customers but also to drive industry innovation and help us prepare for the evolution to 6G,” Tay said.
Growing profile of Asian telcos
SK Telecom and Singtel are also members of the Global Telco AI Alliance, which was announced earlier this year, to leverage AI to expedite the transformation of the existing telcos’ business and to develop new AI-powered business models. The organization is also developing multilingual large language models (LLMs) for telecom service providers. Other members of the Global Telco AI Alliance include Deutsche Telekom, Softbank and e&.
Increasingly, Asian telcos, like SK Telecom, are playing a crucial role in the development of new communications technology and standardization. Now, with 6G, the telcos are aiming to grow their profile as technology leaders in the telecom space.
South Korea is also focusing on 6G technology, and recently, the Ministry of Science and ICT (MSIT) has set a target of 2028 for the launch of 6G. This is two years before the expected launch of 6G globally.
Similarly, the Singapore Government’s Infocomm Media Development Authority (IMDA) recently collaborated with the Singapore University of Technology and Design (SUTD) to launch the Future Communications Connectivity (FCC) lab with a focus on 6G.