'ICT Oscar' Glomo Awards... Samsung, SKT, KT Anticipation Grows

Preview of MWC

[Asia Economy Reporter Cha Min-young] The ‘Mobile World Congress (MWC) 2022,’ returning as an offline event after three years, is set to open next week. Despite lingering concerns due to the resurgence of the COVID-19 pandemic, over 110 Korean companies have confirmed their participation in MWC. Samsung Electronics, SK Telecom, and KT are anticipating awards at the ‘Glomo Awards,’ often called the ‘Oscars of the ICT industry.’

Korean Companies Attend at Half the Level of 2019

According to industry sources on the 25th, about 110 Korean companies will participate in MWC held locally in Barcelona, Spain, on the 28th of this month (local time). These include Samsung Electronics, the three major telecom companies, 54 mid-sized and small enterprises, and 51 startups. Although this is about twice the number compared to around 60 companies last year, it is still half the level compared to before COVID-19.

MWC Barcelona is the world’s largest mobile and IT exhibition, but for the past two years, it was held online only due to COVID-19 issues. This year, it is held offline for the first time in three years, raising expectations; however, global companies such as Sony, Lenovo, and Asus are absent, and the event is conducted virtually with Chinese companies like Huawei, Xiaomi, Oppo, and Honor taking the lead.

Minister Lim Hye-sook Attends, Heads of Three Telecom Giants Gather

Korean companies will introduce new technologies related to 5G, the metaverse, and eco-friendly technologies at MWC 2022. The heads of the three telecom companies?SK Telecom CEO Yoo Young-sang, KT CEO Koo Hyun-mo, and LG Uplus CEO Hwang Hyun-sik?will all be present. Minister Lim Hye-sook will also attend in person and participate as a panelist in a session titled ‘What Comes After Mobile,’ where she will introduce the achievements of Korea’s 5G commercialization over the past three years. Although a meeting between the three CEOs, who have had conflicts over additional frequency allocations, and Minister Lim was anticipated, it has been confirmed that no separate meeting will take place. Samsung Electronics Vice Chairman Han Jong-hee and Samsung Electronics MX Division President (CEO) Roh Tae-moon are also reported to attend.

SK Telecom will set up a large exhibition hall of 792㎡ (about 250 pyeong) at the core venue ‘Fira Gran Via,’ showcasing extended virtual worlds (metaverse), artificial intelligence (AI), urban air mobility (UAM), and quantum cryptography technologies. They will also separately exhibit ESG projects with 11 innovative startups promoting ESG (environment, social, governance) in Korea. KT will open an exhibition hall themed ‘The Engine of Digital Innovation, DigiCo KT,’ divided into three zones: AI, robotics, and KT Group & partners. They will also reveal technologies and application cases of the AI Contact Center (AICC). LG Uplus will operate a meeting space for buyers and a 5G service demonstration zone featuring mixed reality (XR) content, while expanding its partner network.

Samsung Electronics plans to unveil its new premium laptop ‘Galaxy Book2’ series through the ‘Samsung Galaxy MWC Event 2022’ held online alongside its exhibition booth. Samsung will introduce new material technology made by recycling discarded fishing nets. President Roh Tae-moon emphasized the ESG management policy, stating, “At MWC 2022, we will showcase innovations applying materials recycled from discarded fishing nets.”

S21 Ultra and Z Series Nominated for Glomo Awards

Samsung Electronics unveiled the foldable smartphones 'Galaxy Z Fold3' and 'Galaxy Z Flip3' at 'Galaxy Unpacked 2021'. On the 12th, customers visiting the Samsung Delight Shop in Seocho-gu, Seoul, are seen exploring the new products. The newly released products will be available for pre-order in Korea from the 17th to the 23rd and are scheduled for sequential global release on the 27th. Photo by Hyunmin Kim kimhyun81@

The ‘Glomo Awards,’ an ICT award recognizing the world’s top innovative technology companies, is also a highlight. This year, Samsung Group (Samsung Electronics and Samsung Networks) is nominated in four categories, while SK Telecom and KT are each nominated in three categories. Notably, Samsung Electronics has been nominated in the device category for ‘Best Smartphone’ and ‘Disruptive Device Innovation’ with the ‘Galaxy S21 Ultra’ and ‘Galaxy Z Flip3 and Fold3.’ The final award winners will be announced on March 2 (local time), midway through the MWC event.

Meanwhile, this year, the GSMA board of directors plans to discuss at MWC the disputes over network usage fees between content providers (CPs) and telecom operators, exemplified by the so-called ‘Netflix incident’ mainly in Europe, and possible joint solidarity measures. Industry attention is focused on what voice KT CEO Koo Hyun-mo, a board member, will raise regarding the Netflix incident.

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