SKT Announces 'How to Make Money with AI' 2.0... Targeting Market with Customized Data Centers [MWC??]

Announcement of 'AI Pyramid 2.0' Strategy at MWC25
Meeting All Customer Demands with Customized AI Data Centers... "Global Big Tech Collaboration"
Integrated Version of A.Dot.Biz and NateOn Biz to Launch in the Second Half
A.Dot Reaches 8.9 Million Subscribers... "Aiming for 100 Million MAU"
High-Performance, High-Efficiency LLM 'A.Dot X' 4.0 to Be Developed in the First Half

Yu Young-sang, CEO of SKT, is explaining the AI business advancement strategy at a press conference held at MWC25. Photo by SKT

SK Telecom is launching full-scale AI monetization with a customized AI data center (AI DC) strategy tailored to customer demand. SKT CEO Yoo Young-sang announced the 'AI Pyramid 2.0' strategy at a press conference during the 'Mobile World Congress (MWC) 2025' held in Barcelona, Spain, on the 2nd (local time), stating that the AI business, which had been in the exploratory phase until now, will transition to a stage of actual revenue generation. This is a follow-up strategy to the 'AI Pyramid 1.0' announced in 2023, focusing on concrete revenue models centered on execution.

CEO Yoo said, "We will enhance the AI DC business into an 'a la carte' form to meet all types of customer demands." This is a specific strategy to respond in a customized way to customer needs, ranging from rental services of a few GPUs for small businesses or startups, container-type modular DCs for customers requiring rapid deployment, dedicated data centers for companies with high security needs, to large-scale hyperscale data centers in cooperation with global big tech companies.

Presenting 'How to Make Money with AI' in a 3-Tier Pyramid... Data Center - B2B - B2C

SKT clarified an execution-focused revenue generation model by unveiling the AI Pyramid 2.0 strategy on this day. CEO Yoo Young-sang explained, "The first tier is AI DC, the second tier is AI B2B (business-to-business), and the third tier is AI B2C (business-to-consumer), simplifying the structure," adding, "It is a strategy that pursues both self-reliance and cooperation."

CEO Yoo mentioned, "In terms of revenue generation speed, the order is first tier, second tier, then third tier, but the ultimate market size is largest in the third tier, followed by the second and first tiers," and added, "Making money quickly starts from the first tier, but the ultimate size lies in the third tier."

SKT targets the market by subdividing the AI DC business into four main business models: subscription-based AI cloud GPUaaS service, small-scale modular AI DC, single-customer dedicated AI DC, and hyperscale AI DC.

In particular, SKT plans to build a 100MW (approximately 60,000 GPUs) AI data center in non-metropolitan areas of Korea in cooperation with global big tech companies. CEO Yoo said, "This will be the core infrastructure of the AI infrastructure superhighway," and added, "We aim to expand to a 1GW scale in the future and establish an Asia-Pacific hub." However, the specific global big tech partners cooperating with SKT have not yet been disclosed. CEO Yoo stated, "Due to non-disclosure agreements (NDA), it is difficult to comment at this time, but once confirmed, there will be opportunities to provide detailed information through press conferences."

The modular AI DC is a form that installs AI infrastructure in a cargo container-sized space and can be built in just three months. CEO Yoo said, "Modular DC is an innovative form gaining popularity in the U.S.," and added, "We plan to promote the business through a partnership with 'Ellis,' which possesses top-level domestic technology."

The subscription-based AI cloud service 'SKT GPUaaS' introduced about 300 GPUs at the Gasan data center last December, allowing customers to flexibly use the latest GPUs. CEO Yoo emphasized, "Customers often hesitate after purchasing H100 when new products like H200 or B200 come out, but by using the GPU service, they can contract on a 1-2 year basis and upgrade to the latest models as needed."

SKT is accelerating the AI B2B business with 'AI.X (A.Dot.X)' and 'A.biz (A.Dot.Biz).' A.Dot.Biz consists of two parts: services that innovate daily work and 'A.Dot.Biz Pro,' specialized in professional areas such as tax, legal affairs, and HR. It is scheduled to expand to 21 SK Group member companies within this year and will be launched around August to September as a next-generation group messenger integrated with SKT's in-house messenger 'NateOn Biz.'

In the B2C sector, the AI agent 'A.Dot' has secured 8.9 million subscribers and 7.4 million monthly active users (MAU). The MAU target for this year is 12 million, with an ultimate goal of 100 million users. CEO Yoo stated, "Through A.Dot's 'Divergence' strategy, we will expand the customer base by partnering with various services."

The global AI agent 'Aster (A*)' will also be launched first in the U.S. market, with plans to expand through cooperation with the Global Telco AI Alliance.

SKT continues to advance its proprietary large language model (LLM) 'A.Dot.X (A.X).' A.Dot.X is utilized within the SK Group for AI tools and B2B solutions, replacing ChatGPT 100% in AI call summarization and reducing costs by 65%. The A.Dot.X 4.0, scheduled for completion in the first half of the year, is a Korean language-specialized LLM with tokenizer efficiency more than 1.5 times higher.

Global cooperation is also being strengthened. According to SKT, the corporate value of four global AI companies?Entropic, Perplexity, Lambda, and Penguin Solutions?in which SKT has invested, has increased 3.1 times compared to the investment timing. The Global Telco AI Alliance is also expanding, and the 'K-AI Alliance,' established by SKT and domestic innovative AI startups, has grown from 7 to 30 member companies.

CEO Yoo Young-sang said, "SKT's AI is transitioning from the exploration and diffusion phase to a phase of securing tangible results," and added, "Through the AI Pyramid 2.0 strategy, we will actively promote AI business monetization and contribute to the creation of a Korean-style AI ecosystem."