The Future of Mobile Communications in the Post-Corona Era

'International Mobile Technology Expo 2022' to be held on the 28th

[Asia Economy Reporter Lim Hye-sun] What will mobile communications look like in the post-COVID-19 era?

The theme of the world's largest mobile exhibition, the "Mobile World Congress (MWC) 2022," held in Barcelona, Spain on the 28th, is "Connectivity Unleashed." During the COVID-19 pandemic, connectivity became highly emphasized through remote work and online content consumption. MWC2022 focuses on "the role of connectivity-related technologies in the future digital society." The exhibition themes include 5th generation (5G), cloud, Internet of Things (IoT), artificial intelligence (AI), and FinTech. SK Telecom reviewed the key issues of MWC2022 through its newsroom.

The Evolution of '5th Generation' Communication

At the event, products related to open radio access networks and network virtualization will be introduced from the perspective of 5G communication evolution. Companies participating in the Open RAN Alliance "O-RAN," such as Ericsson, Qualcomm, and Parallel Wireless, will exhibit solutions applying open radio access networks. Major telecom operators including SKT are also preparing related exhibitions. These technologies contribute to optimizing 5G network operation efficiency as well as cloud and 5G edge computing.

SKT will showcase the development and demonstration of cloud virtual radio access network (vRAN) based on 5G wireless networks in collaboration with Samsung Electronics, Ericsson, and Nokia at MWC. Additionally, major network equipment manufacturers such as Ericsson, Nokia, and Huawei will exhibit AI-based network operation efficiency and energy-saving solutions. Furthermore, a vision for the 6th generation (6G) is expected to be introduced at the MWC venue.

In the mobile device sector, Samsung Electronics will unveil the next-generation Galaxy Book for the first time. Honor, which spun off from Huawei, is expected to exhibit the Magic4 series, Oppo the Find X5 series, and Xiaomi flagship new products such as the Xiaomi 12.

Chipset manufacturer Qualcomm is expected to showcase Snapdragon mobile chipsets and integrated solutions for vehicles. Intel is anticipated to reveal processors for autonomous vehicles and 12th generation Core processors for desktop PCs.

In addition to electric vehicle exhibitions, an Unmanned Aerial System (UAS) event is also scheduled. The Global System for Mobile Communications Association (GSMA) defines UAS as a rapidly growing convergent industry and is working with mobile operators and unmanned aviation-related organizations to discover UAS services and build ecosystems. SKT will also use MWC to promote its efforts to lead the urban air mobility (UAM) industry worldwide.

Discussions on the issue of network usage fee sharing by content providers (CP) are also expected. This year at MWC, major global telecom operators will lead discussions on network usage fee sharing. Global mobile operators are also known to participate in this discussion demanding reasonable network cost sharing.

Service Innovation through FinTech

MWC22 will also address service innovation through FinTech, a digital financial trend. A keynote speech by Charles Stewart, CEO of Sotheby’s, is scheduled. Sotheby’s is famous as a high-end art auction company. In April 2021, it started auctioning non-fungible token (NFT) artworks and achieved sales of $100 million in 2021 alone.

Metaverse-related exhibitions are also planned. Meta will demonstrate its metaverse platform Horizon and introduce the AI Research Super Cluster (RSC) supercomputer for metaverse implementation. Nvidia will reveal its Omniverse platform for metaverse development and simulation, as well as collaboration cases with companies like BMW. SKT will design its entire exhibition hall based on the metaverse concept, providing a differentiated experience that blends reality and virtuality.

A startup discovery event will also be held. The organizers expect investment potential exceeding $4 billion through the event. This year’s best startup award candidates include Authena, a blockchain-based product counterfeit detection solution company; NAX Solutions, an environmental monitoring solution company using satellite image analysis; IDUN Technology, a biosensor company; Citibeats, a social data analysis platform company; and Roybi, a robot company for children's education.

Discussions on net zero and sustainability will continue. Energy-saving technologies and products will be actively exhibited throughout the exhibition themes, and panel discussions including industry, government officials, and NGOs are planned.

SKT will also present its vision for the SKT 2.0 era. SKT CEO Yoo Young-sang is expected to attend in person. The large exhibition hall, designed with a metaverse concept, will introduce future technologies and services such as metaverse, AI semiconductors, UAM, and innovative communication infrastructure technologies like virtual base stations.

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