SKT Publishes '6G White Paper' Outlining Direction for Communication Infrastructure in the AI Era

SK Telecom to Release 6G White Paper on 15th
"6G Core is Cloud, AI, and Green Native"

SK Telecom unveiled a 6G white paper on the 15th that forecasts the direction of communication infrastructure in the artificial intelligence (AI) era and the future of 6G mobile communications.

This white paper is a continuation of the 6G white paper published last year, the first by a domestic telecom company. Through the first white paper, SKT introduced analyses of key requirements, technology trends, and expected frequency bands necessary for 6th generation mobile communication standardization.

In this white paper, SKT defines the core of 6G structural evolution as 'Cloud, AI, and Green Native,' and presents the evolution direction of 6G AI infrastructure based on ubiquitous intelligence emphasized in the International Telecommunication Union (ITU)'s '6G Framework' recommendation.

It also anticipates that the 6G era will feature a flexible network structure based on 'generation mixing,' which appropriately combines previous generation mobile communications considering data traffic demand and specialized services.

The concept of 'Telco Edge AI Infrastructure,' which simultaneously provides real-time data processing and AI services through the integration of communication infrastructure and AI, is also expected to gain attention.

Furthermore, SKT argues that in the 6G era, the telecommunications business must shift its paradigm beyond merely generating revenue based on traffic demand to enhancing the intrinsic value of the infrastructure itself.

This means that mobile carriers need to continuously increase the value of their networks to provide differentiated value from hyperscalers like Google or Amazon Web Services’ large-scale AI data centers and on-device AI operating on smartphones and laptops.

As a methodology, SKT emphasized the need for efforts such as combining AI solutions with existing telecom base stations to perform real-time AI inference. To achieve this, it highlighted the necessity of ▲global ecosystem collaboration ▲discovery of promising business models ▲technological evolution in areas such as wireless access networks, core networks, transport networks, devices, and AI orchestration.

SKT is striving to lead the phased standardization and research and development (R&D) of 6G-related technologies. In May, SKT emphasized Telco Edge AI Infrastructure as a core technology for next-generation infrastructure evolution during the 3GPP IMT-2030 use case workshop and 6G presentation sessions, and proposed standardization of related technologies at the O-RAN Alliance standards meeting held in June.

Additionally, through keynote speeches at the IOWN Global Forum and Network X held in October, SKT presented a vision that existing wired and wireless infrastructure must evolve into AI infrastructure in the 6G era.

SKT is also leading research and development activities while spearheading the standardization of Telco Edge AI technology. In August, it succeeded in demonstrating autonomous driving robot technology based on Telco Edge AI Infrastructure and is actively exploring related business models.

Moreover, SKT is implementing an 'AI Pyramid Strategy' that integrates AI into its core businesses. SKT CEO Yoo Young-sang emphasized at the SK Group 'Icheon Forum 2024' in June that the optimal strategy South Korea can choose is an 'AI Infrastructure First' strategy with world-class infrastructure alongside existing AI semiconductors, highlighting the importance of investing in AI infrastructure to create an 'AI Super Highway' that allows anyone easy and convenient access to AI.

Ryu Tak-gi, head of SK Telecom’s Infrastructure Technology Division, stated, "Through this white paper, we will present the direction of next-generation infrastructure evolution based on Telco Edge AI and seek to expand the related ecosystem. We will lead the evolution into 6G AI wired and wireless infrastructure that adds new value to infrastructure through the convergence of telecommunications and AI."