SK Telecom Forms Consortium with HPE... Opens Export Path for 5G MEC

[Asia Economy Reporter Joselgina] SK Telecom is expanding Korean 5G MEC (Mobile Edge Computing) technology overseas in collaboration with global IT company Hewlett Packard Enterprise (HPE).

On the 21st, according to SK Telecom, the two parties signed a cooperation agreement on forming the ‘MEC Consortium’ at SKT headquarters in Euljiro, Seoul.

The MEC Consortium will provide a total package of MEC-related hardware and software to desired telecom operators. Within the consortium, SK Telecom will provide MEC software, while HPE will be responsible for hardware and infrastructure provision, as well as local sales and maintenance.

The MEC Consortium will prioritize supplying MEC packages to Southeast Asian telecom operators. Detailed negotiations regarding supply contracts are currently underway with telecom companies in Malaysia and Thailand. In the future, based on SK Telecom’s global networking, they plan to explore exports to various telecom operators located in North America and Europe.

‘5G MEC’ is a core 5G technology that creates a shortcut for wireless data transmission, enhancing the performance of ultra-low latency services such as ▲cloud gaming ▲smart factories ▲autonomous driving and vehicle control ▲AI/Data computing ▲5G robots.

SK Telecom is integrating its self-developed MEC solution with virtual reality and is preparing MEC-based cloud business in cooperation with Amazon Web Services (AWS), Microsoft, and others.

SK Telecom explained that through this MEC technology export, it has secured ‘universality,’ a core aspect of global standards. As requests for MEC technology cooperation from telecom operators in various countries are increasing, it is evaluated that there is a higher possibility that global standards will be formed centered on SKT MEC technology.

Additionally, SK Telecom is developing ‘MEC Interworking Platform’ technology that links different MEC technologies and is planning pilot tests with major overseas telecom operators. Through this, they aim to discover 5G MEC services in collaboration with global telecom companies and take the lead in establishing a service ecosystem.

Ha Hyung-il, Head of SK Telecom Corporate 2 Center, said, “We expect SKT technology to lead innovation in various fields including media, security, gaming, and healthcare,” adding, “We will focus on promoting the overseas expansion of domestic content such as immersive content and cloud gaming, and forming an ecosystem that can enhance 5G industry productivity.”

Narinda Kapoor, HPE APAC Representative, said, “We expect this cooperation to create an ecosystem where Asian telecom operators can launch various MEC services,” and added, “Digital transformation innovation will accelerate.”

This content was produced with the assistance of AI translation services.