In the course of the fourth quarter of the yr, SK Telecom added practically 524,000 5G subscribers
SK Telecom, South Korea’s largest telecom operator, ended This autumn 2023 yr with a complete of 15.67 million subscribers within the 5G phase, up 17% from 13.4 million in the identical interval the earlier yr, the provider stated in its earnings assertion.
In the course of the fourth quarter of the yr, the Korean provider added practically 524,000 5G subscribers. On the finish of 2023, the operator’s 5G subscribers accounted for 68% of its general handset subscribers, up from 58% on the finish of December 2022.
Within the LTE phase, SK Telecom ended the interval with 15.07 million subscribers, down from 15.4 million within the earlier quarter.
The Korean provider ended final yr with a complete of 33.66 million cell subscribers, up 2.5% year-on-year.
In This autumn, SK Telecom’s web revenue declined 16.2% year-on-year to KRW 187 billion ($140.3 million), whereas its income rose 3% year-on-year to KRW4.52 trillion.
“SK Telecom expects its AI companies to attain income progress primarily based on sturdy AI infrastructure and know-how capabilities it has constructed to this point. AI information heart, AI enterprise and AI semiconductor are anticipated to drive the expansion of SK Telecom’s AI enterprise by quickly increasing gross sales this yr with steep progress in market demand,” the telco stated.
In September 2023, SK Telecom had introduced its imaginative and prescient to grow to be a world AI firm and unveiled the AI Pyramid Technique, underneath which it’ll strengthen its personal competitiveness to deepen buyer relationships whereas working along with companions all through the world. The AI Pyramid Technique focuses on innovating business, society, and life centered round three key areas together with AI Infrastructure, AI Transformation (AIX) and AI Service.
“Within the space of AI Infrastructure, SK Telecom plans to safe and improve infrastructure capabilities that function the inspiration of an AI firm, similar to AI information facilities, AI semiconductors, and multi-large language fashions (LLMs). AIX goals to innovate present fastened and cell telecommunications, media, and enterprise companies by AI, and develop the applying of AI to UAM and healthcare. Lastly, within the space of AI Service, SK Telecom plans to forge nearer relationships with prospects by a extremely competent private AI assistant and develop its scale by collaborating with world telecommunications firms,” the Korean telco had stated.
“Going ahead, primarily based on its knowhow in working numerous AI companies, SK Telecom plans to develop its presence within the AI service market by concurrently coming into abroad markets in cooperation with members of the World AI Telco Alliance,” the provider added.
Final yr, South Korea’s ICT ministry canceled a license owned by SK Telecom which had been meant to assist 5G companies through 28 GHz spectrum, citing an absence of deployment funding by the operator.
SK Telecom had been given the proper to make use of the 28 GHz band in 2018 and was required to put in a complete of 15,000 models of community gear by Could 2023. Nevertheless, SK Telecom had solely put in just one,650 models of 28 GHz gear and had no plans for additional installations, in accordance with the Ministry of Science and ICT.
