Following SKT and KT, LG Uplus Also Enters the UAM Business

Kakao Mobility, GS Caltex, Vertical Aerospace, and Others
Form Consortium to Participate in K-UAM Demonstration Project

On the afternoon of the 10th, representatives from each company posed for a commemorative photo at the business agreement ceremony held at LG Science Park in Gangseo-gu, Seoul. From the left: Lee Sang-yeop, Chief Technology Officer (CTO) Executive Director of LG Uplus; Yoo Seung-il, Chief Technology Officer (CTO) of Kakao Mobility; Kim E-bae, CEO of Jeju Air; Park Il-pyeong, President of LG Science Park; Jang In-young, Vice President of GS Caltex; Eduardo Dominguez Puerta, Chief Commercialization Officer (CCO) of Vertical Aerospace; Kim Jun, CEO of Pablo Aviation.

[Asia Economy Reporter Lim Hye-seon] Following SK Telecom and KT, LG Uplus is also entering the Urban Air Mobility (UAM) business.

On the 11th, LG Uplus announced that it has formed a consortium with Kakao Mobility, GS Caltex, Jeju Air, Pablo Aviation, and Vertical Aerospace to participate in the Ministry of Land, Infrastructure and Transport’s Korean Urban Air Mobility Grand Challenge (K-UAM GC) demonstration project.

K-UAM GC is a demonstration program aiming for the domestic commercialization of UAM by 2025, integrating and operating tests on vehicle safety and traffic management functions. In the first phase, participants will be selected this year, followed by demonstration flights in open areas starting next year, verifying infrastructure and relay platforms for UAM operations.

The companies agreed to mutually cooperate in various areas, including establishing Korean UAM standards, conducting individual demonstrations to accelerate service commercialization, and jointly exploring additional business opportunities related to the UAM industry in the future.

The demonstration project involves a consortium of specialized companies from various fields such as UAM vehicle manufacturers, traffic management service providers, and vertiport (vertical takeoff and landing site) operators. LG Uplus will provide traffic management systems and stable communication services to ensure the safe operation of UAM.

The traffic management system is a critical framework that monitors and controls all UAM movements to prevent collisions between vehicles and obstacles. It analyzes flight plans and operational information to monitor in real-time whether routes deviate. LG Uplus plans to jointly develop and research the traffic management system in cooperation with Pablo Aviation, a drone solution and service specialist.

Additionally, LG Uplus will verify mobile communication coverage suitable for UAM routes from ground base stations and quickly secure the communication quality required by the demonstration project to preempt the upcoming UAM market. Furthermore, in collaboration with LG Science Park, LG Group’s capabilities in batteries, motors, and other areas will be combined to prepare for the forthcoming UAM era.

Kakao Mobility will leverage its expertise operating the complete MaaS application 'Kakao T' to present a multimodal mobility vision and will be responsible for building vertiport solutions implementing features such as automatic check-in and security screening to support seamless mobility.

GS Caltex plans to build UAM vertiports utilizing its gas station network. Gas stations are evenly distributed nationwide, including urban areas, and their open ceiling spaces make them suitable for vehicle takeoff and landing, making them ideal UAM hubs. Building vertiports at gas stations can reduce time and costs compared to other networks.

Jeju Air will provide safe and reliable flight services based on its accumulated aviation operation know-how, including aviation professionals and flight-related systems. Pablo Aviation, a drone solution and service specialist, will build the UAM integrated flight control system by leveraging its experience developing the smart mobility integrated control system (PAMNet).

The vehicles used by the consortium will be manufactured by the UK-based Vertical Aerospace. Vertical Aerospace is a global leading UAM vehicle manufacturer with over 1,350 pre-orders worldwide for electric vertical takeoff and landing (eVTOL) aircraft and plans to conduct demonstration flights at the 2024 Paris Olympics. It will also be responsible for flight route design and post-management of the vehicles.

Lee Sang-yeop, CTO of LG Uplus, said, “As a telecommunications operator, we will verify that mobile communications, including 5G, can provide high-quality service not only on the ground but also in the skies where UAM operates, and we will do our best to become a leading company responsible for stable UAM operations.”

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