SKT Builds '5GX Edge Zone' in Seoul with AWS... Aiming for Ultra-Low Latency

Second in Korea Following Daejeon in 2020

[Asia Economy Reporter Minyoung Cha] To reduce 5G communication delays in downtown Seoul, SK Telecom and Amazon Web Services (AWS) have joined forces.

SK Telecom announced on the 7th that it has established a 5G edge cloud service hub called '5GX Edge Zone' in Seoul in collaboration with AWS. This is the second case since the first 5GX Edge Zone was established in Daejeon, Korea in 2020.

SK Telecom's 5GX Edge Zone applies AWS Wavelength to 5G MEC (Mobile Edge Computing). MEC is a technology that processes data on-site without sending it to a central server, significantly reducing communication traffic load and service latency, while Wavelength is a service that provides MEC infrastructure within the 5G network.

SK Telecom explained that the 5GX Edge Zone is located on the shortest path where 5G and cloud meet, helping to minimize network latency. Client companies can connect to the '5G Edge Cloud' in the 5GX Edge Zone and implement ultra-low latency applications in the same development environment as AWS.

According to SK Telecom, the 5GX Edge Zone operating in Seoul this time is significant in that it distributes the demand for applications using the 5G edge cloud, improving cloud access efficiency. With the addition of the Edge Zone in Seoul, it is expected to provide more convenient services to users in the densely populated metropolitan area.

SK Telecom and AWS will introduce '5G Edge Discovery' technology that provides optimal edge cloud services based on the customer's location by utilizing the two domestic 5GX Edge Zones. 5G Edge Discovery automatically searches for the edge zone closest to the customer and connects to low-latency, real-time services. When metropolitan area customers attempt to access applications on the 5G edge cloud, the AWS Edge Discovery server communicates in real-time with SK Telecom's edge policy server to connect to the Seoul Edge Zone that can provide the best service quality.

SK Telecom plans to accelerate company-wide cooperation to expand 5G specialized services such as artificial intelligence (AI), robotics, and healthcare through the expansion of the 5GX Edge Zone. Partnering with autonomous delivery robot platform company 'Newbility,' healthcare solution provider 'Cearstech,' and industrial AI specialist 'Machinarax,' SK Telecom aims to lead industrial innovation by expanding 5G edge cloud-based cooperation in delivery robot control, remote patient condition monitoring, and equipment anomaly detection.

Kim Myung-guk, head of SK Telecom's cloud business, said, "By establishing the second 5GX Edge Zone in Seoul, we can accommodate the diverse new service demands concentrated in the metropolitan area centered on the edge cloud," adding, "We will strive to expand the 5G edge cloud as a core infrastructure that discovers innovations in industries such as gaming, media, manufacturing, and healthcare."