SKT and Korea Water Resources Corporation Join Hands for IoT Water Management

[Asia Economy Reporter Koo Chae-eun] SK Telecom is contributing to the improvement of water welfare in the Green New Deal era through IoT-based water supply operation management services and social care services that combine water data and communication data.

On the 16th, SK Telecom announced that it signed a business agreement with Korea Water Resources Corporation to cooperate on a smart water supply operation management project and to improve water welfare based on water supply data. Through this agreement, SK Telecom and Korea Water Resources Corporation will jointly promote IoT infrastructure support for smart water supply management, advancement of water resource management systems, and demonstration services for social care using data.

To this end, the two companies will cooperate to establish technical standards for IoT-based water supply management technology, select local governments for smart water supply operation management demonstration projects, and conduct demonstration services within this year. Additionally, they plan to analyze water usage and usage patterns of socially vulnerable groups as big data through smart meters, and combine this with SK Telecom’s mobile communication call history and data usage to enhance care services.

Furthermore, the two companies plan to participate together in nationwide smart water network management infrastructure construction projects and regional water supply operation efficiency projects in the second half of this year, contributing to the government’s Digital New Deal and Green New Deal policies. The IoT dedicated network LoRa will be applied to SK Telecom’s remote water meter reading projects by local governments. The LoRa network is suitable for remote meter reading because it consumes less power than LTE, has wider communication coverage, and lower communication costs.

SK Telecom has also built LTE Cat.M1 nationwide, which can transmit low-capacity videos and HD-quality photos, and together with LoRa, it possesses a nationwide IoT hybrid network. Through this, it provides various services such as water, gas, and electricity AMI, human and object location tracking, and facility and equipment status monitoring. Korea Water Resources Corporation leads the advancement of water supply systems and revitalization of related industries through nationwide water management ecosystem management and entrusted water management projects in major local governments. Through cooperation with SK Telecom, it is expected to secure more stable and economical smart meter technology and continuously discover services that enhance public convenience.

Oh Bong-rok, Head of Integrated Water Management Headquarters at Korea Water Resources Corporation, said, “By integrating water management technology with SK Telecom’s information and communication technology, we plan to lead smart water supply technology and continuously develop and expand water welfare services that the public can feel, such as social safety nets.” Shin Yong-sik, Head of Massive IoT Business Division at SK Telecom, stated, “Through collaboration between the two companies, we plan to upgrade the water management system based on IoT to contribute to green transition and national economic revitalization. We will lead global water management standards through ICT-based water management innovation and contribute to solving global water issues.”