SKT Wins Two Awards at ICT Global Awards... Network and 5G Achievements

Glotel Awards 'Best Virtualization Innovation' Winner
Continuing 6 Consecutive Years of Achievement
Leading Light Awards '5G Service Provider of the Year'

SK Telecom has swept multiple global awards for its 5G service and infrastructure technology. The photo shows SK Telecom manager Yang Gi-seok receiving the award in the 'Best Virtualization Innovation' category at the 'Global Telecom Awards 2022' ceremony on the 2nd (Korean time). Photo by SKT

[Asia Economy Reporter Minyoung Cha] SK Telecom has swept multiple global awards with its 5G services and infrastructure technology.

SK Telecom announced on the 4th that it received awards for next-generation core network technology and 5G services at the 'Global Telecom Awards 2022' held in London, UK, and the 'Leading Lights Awards 2022' held online, respectively.

The Global Telecom Awards 2022, hosted by global ICT research organization Informa, marked its 10th anniversary this year. With this award, SKT has continued its winning streak at the Global Telecom Awards for six consecutive years.

SKT won in the 'Best Virtualization Innovation' category, awarded to companies leading network virtualization technology. It was recognized for commercializing a core network suitable for providing ultra-high-speed and large-capacity 5G services through system lightweighting, and for advancing the latest technologies such as packet acceleration processing, path optimization, and multi-flow control.

The bare-metal based cloud-native core network, commercialized for the first time in the world by SKT and Ericsson, improved traffic processing efficiency by up to 50% compared to existing physical-based cores. According to the company, this allows rapid response to communication equipment expansion and sudden traffic increases in industrial sites.

SKT was also selected as the '5G Service Provider of the Year' at the Leading Lights Awards 2022, a prestigious global mobile award. The Leading Lights Awards are presented annually by Light Reading, a leading global telecommunications media outlet, to the best telecom operators and services in each field.

SKT was recognized for offering differentiated services based on world-class 5G speed and quality, quickly securing 5G coverage, and providing nationwide services. It also received positive evaluations for leading innovation in 5G evolution technologies such as fostering the Open RAN ecosystem, 5G Option 4 technology, and advanced wired and wireless networks, as well as for implementing the growth-oriented AI service A.(A.Dot) and the first metaverse (extended virtual world) app by a mobile carrier, 'ifland.'

Kang Jong-ryeol, head of SK Telecom ICT Infrastructure, stated, “We plan to continue research and development and commercialization efforts to provide the best services with advanced technology that leads global telecommunications technology.”