Competition for Dominance in the 'Flying Taxi' Market... SKT to Announce Business Strategy on the 15th

Announcement of UAM Service Business Strategy at Busan International Motor Show and Drone·UAM Expo

'2022 Busan International Motor Show' SK Telecom Exhibition Hall Bird's-eye View

[Asia Economy Reporter Cha Min-young] SK Telecom will announce its business strategy at the Busan International Motor Show and the Drone·UAM Expo amid competition among the three major telecom companies over the urban air mobility (UAM) demonstration project, known as the "flying taxi."

SK Telecom announced on the 10th that it will present its UAM service business strategy at the "2022 Busan International Motor Show" and the "2022 Korea Drone·UAM Expo," both opening on the 15th.

UAM is a transportation system utilizing personal flying vehicles (eVTOL) capable of vertical takeoff and landing. The government's target for UAM commercialization is 2025. The three consortia, including the "K-UAM (Korean Urban Air Mobility) Dream Team" consortium, which SK Telecom participates in, as well as KT and LG Uplus, have submitted proposals to participate in the UAM demonstration project led by the Ministry of Land, Infrastructure and Transport and are awaiting the announcement of the results.

SK Telecom emphasized that it is the only company among the domestic UAM commercialization operators participating in this Busan International Motor Show. The company plans to introduce UAM services and business goals at the motor show and provide visitors with an augmented reality (AR) virtual experience of air taxis.

SK Telecom models are posing in front of a future UAM introduction video.

SK Telecom explained that visitors can stand on a large robotic arm simulator and look at a large light-emitting diode (LED) screen covering the back wall of the 400㎡ exhibition hall to feel as if they are flying a UAM aircraft in the virtual sky of Busan in 2030.

The K-UAM Dream Team consortium, which includes SK Telecom, will also participate in the "Korea Drone·UAM Expo" held on the same day at the Gocheok Sky Dome in Seoul, hosted by the Ministry of Land, Infrastructure and Transport. This expo is an event where leading companies and institutions in Korea's drone and UAM sectors discuss technology use cases and future business strategies. The consortium will also showcase exhibitions related to UAM operation, control, infrastructure, aircraft, and services at the expo.

Additionally, SK Telecom will present its UAM business plan at the "UAM Team Korea Strategy Forum," held before the expo's opening ceremony. This forum is a venue where UAM companies disclose their business progress and suggestions.

Park Gyu-hyun, head of digital communication at SK Telecom, said, "We have organized the exhibition so that visitors can realistically experience UAM services through advanced ICT equipment," adding, "We plan to continue efforts to build public consensus and expand the service base during the domestic UAM commercialization process."

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