The Three Major Telecom Companies Step on the Gas for Smart Mobility Business

5G·AI-Driven Extensive Platforms
Fierce Competition for Technology Among Telecom Companies
All Three Companies Participate in Related Expo
Virtual Experiences of Autonomous Driving and Flying Cars
Global Market Expected to Grow to 384 Trillion Won

[Asia Economy Reporter Cha Min-young] The three major mobile carriers are strengthening their smart mobility business efforts as part of their 'de-telecommunication' strategies. Smart mobility is expected to become a platform that comprehensively utilizes 5th generation (5G) networks, artificial intelligence (AI), cloud technologies, and more, intensifying the competition among telecom companies to secure related technologies.

The Three Telecom Giants Fully Participate in the ‘Smart Mobility Expo’

According to industry sources on the 10th, SK Telecom, KT, and LG Uplus are participating in the ‘2021 Seoul Smart Mobility Expo,’ which runs for three days starting today. The event is organized around three themes: Urban Air Mobility (UAM), smart logistics, and autonomous driving.

SK Telecom is showcasing a virtual reality (VR) boarding experience of UAM, commonly known as the ‘flying car (unmanned aerial vehicle).’ SK Telecom has been conducting related research in collaboration with Korea Airports Corporation, Hanwha Systems, Korea Transport Institute, and T Map Mobility. UAM is an electric-powered aerial mobility service that enables vertical takeoff and landing without runways in urban areas. It is considered an eco-friendly technology that can be integrated with land transportation modes such as buses, railways, bicycles, and kickboards.

SK Telecom announced on the 9th that it will participate in the '2021 Seoul Smart Mobility Expo' together with Korea Airports Corporation, Hanwha Systems, Korea Transport Institute, and T map Mobility to showcase a virtual reality (VR)-based urban air mobility (UAM) boarding experience. The photo shows an SK Telecom model virtually experiencing a trip from Sangam-dong to COEX through VR-implemented UAM content.

KT operates three zones: autonomous driving, mobility services, and IVI (In-Vehicle Infotainment) platforms. In the autonomous driving platform, visitors can experience a navigation demonstration on Jeju Island using video analysis solutions and precise positioning technology. They can indirectly experience the ‘C-ITS (Cooperative Intelligent Transport System),’ which enables real-time two-way communication between vehicles and between vehicles and roads, creating a sense of organic connectivity.

LG Uplus demonstrates core autonomous driving technologies. They present a 5G autonomous vehicle jointly developed with Hanyang University’s Automotive Electronics Control Laboratory, ACE Lab. Visitors can experience autonomous driving technologies including 5G control services, big data collection and analysis solutions for autonomous driving, and carpotainment services.

Competing to Capture the ‘384 Trillion Won Market’

Visitors at the KT exhibition hall are experiencing in-vehicle entertainment and navigation information system solutions in the 'IVI (In-Vehicle Infotainment) Platform' zone.

The reason telecom companies are focusing on smart mobility is its potential as a future growth engine. According to the U.S. market research firm Orbis Research, the global smart mobility market size is expected to grow from $84.3 billion (approximately 94 trillion won) in 2018 to $343.8 billion (approximately 384 trillion won) by 2025, with an estimated compound annual growth rate of 22.23%.

The government and local authorities are also actively adopting smart mobility technologies using advanced ICT to solve urban transportation problems. The ‘Smart City Act’ has been enacted domestically. Seoul City is also considering introducing various fields such as expanding ride-sharing platforms and integrated transportation information systems. For example, LG Uplus provides autonomous driving services and infrastructure in Siheung Baegot New Town, the autonomous driving regulatory free zone in Sejong City, and Gwangju City.

LG Uplus officials are examining autonomous vehicles at the 2021 Seoul Smart Mobility Expo (SSME 2021) exhibition booth.

The fact that the global automotive industry is focusing on smart mobility is also seen as a significant opportunity in the business-to-business (B2B) market. At CES 2021 held in the U.S. last January, many global automakers participated to showcase their technologies. KT provides connected car platforms to 15 global automotive manufacturers (OEMs), including Hyundai Motor and Mercedes-Benz.

Yu Sang-young, Head of SK Telecom’s MNO Business, stated, "Based on SK Telecom’s advanced ICT infrastructure and T Map Mobility’s expertise in operating the ‘T Map’ platform, we will lead innovation in UAM and contribute to reducing social costs caused by traffic congestion in large cities." Song Jae-ho, Vice President and Head of KT’s AI & DX Convergence Business Division, also said, "We hope visitors will experience future mobility solutions firsthand and feel the transformation of ‘Digico KT.’"

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