Integration of AI in Communication Technology... SKT Demonstrates AI Base Stations at MWC

AI Enhances Network Intelligence, Communication Networks Boost AI Service Efficiency
Technologies Such as AI Base Station (AI-RAN) and AI Routing to Be Showcased

SK Telecom announced on the 26th that it will showcase network AI technologies utilizing artificial intelligence (AI) at the 'Mobile World Congress 2025 (MWC 2025)' opening on the 3rd of next month (local time) in Barcelona, Spain.

At the MWC exhibition hall, SKT will demonstrate the 'AI Base Station (AI-RAN)' technology, which applies various chipsets such as GPUs to general-purpose servers to provide both communication and AI services. The AI base station operates by providing AI workloads (the types and amounts of tasks the network must process) through the communication base station. It implements communication services and AI workloads simultaneously at the AI base station.

SK Telecom employees conducting research using AI base station (AI-RAN) test equipment at the Bundang office testbed. Photo by SK Telecom

Communication base stations secure spare resources in consideration of traffic congestion. The AI base station allocates these spare resources for AI inference services and others, thereby improving the efficiency of AI services.

This exhibition also includes technologies such as AI Orchestrator, which integrates and manages infrastructure distributed across edge AI stations to provide AI service environments to customers, and AI-based network analysis functions (NWDAF) that enhance communication quality. Network analysis functions refer to collecting and analyzing information generated within communication networks.

The 'AI Routing' technology, which handles simple AI tasks with on-device AI to reduce server load, will also be showcased. This technology dynamically determines in real-time whether a server equipped with a large language model (LLM) or a device equipped with a small language model (SLM) can deliver optimal inference performance and assigns the service accordingly. Through this, customers can experience the low latency advantage of on-device AI while maintaining service quality, and AI providers can reduce server load.

The current research status of 'Integrated Sensing and Communication (ISAC),' a next-generation mobile communication technology, will also be revealed. ISAC is a technology that collects information about the surrounding environment using radio signals. It can precisely detect surroundings by analyzing the degree to which communication frequency signals transmitted from base stations or terminals are reflected by humans or objects.

As ISAC is a new technology integrating communication and sensing functions, it can be applied in various fields such as public safety and industrial automation. International standard organizations such as the International Telecommunication Union (ITU) and the 3rd Generation Partnership Project (3GPP) are also focusing on it as a target service for 6G. SKT has prepared a demonstration that detects visitors passing in front of base station equipment installed inside the exhibition hall using ISAC technology.

Ryu Tak-gi, Head of SK Telecom’s Infrastructure Technology Division, stated, "As we have presented the evolution direction of networks integrating communication and AI through the 6G white paper and others, we plan to showcase advanced AI wired and wireless infrastructure technologies that add new value to infrastructure at this MWC."

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