[MWC26] Hong Beomsik, CEO of LG Uplus: "Becoming a Global AI Company... IXIO to Go Overseas"

Telecommunications and AX Solutions as Software... AI Technology Solutionization
Focus on IXIO and Enterprise AI
"Discussing IXIO Exports in 13 Countries... Results Expected This Year"

LG Uplus has announced its ambition to become a global artificial intelligence (AI) software company. The company plans to move beyond its traditional telecommunications business by transforming communication and AI transformation (AX) solutions into software products for the global market.

At a press conference held on the morning of the 4th (local time) at the InterContinental Hotel in Barcelona, Spain, CEO Hong Beomsik of LG Uplus stated, "Our goal is to become an AI-centric software company that leads the productization of communication and AX technologies as solutions," adding, "We will expand globally through the technological competitiveness we have secured in adjacent communication fields and through global partnerships." This press conference was held during Mobile World Congress (MWC) 2026, the world's largest mobile exhibition.

Hong Beomsik, CEO of LG Uplus, is presenting the 'AI Business Strategy' at a press conference held on the 4th (local time) at the InterContinental Hotel in Barcelona, Spain. 2026.3.4 Photo by Kang Jinhyung

LG Uplus's declaration to enter the global market stems from the judgment that the domestic telecommunications market has reached its growth limit. CEO Hong explained, "We have deliberated extensively on whether it is possible to generate revenue solely within Korea," and added, "In the AI era, we determined that expanding globally is crucial."

To achieve this, LG Uplus is focusing on its AI call agent 'IXIO' and the 'Enterprise AI Full Stack.' The company aims to concentrate its capabilities in areas where the advantages of a telecommunications provider can be leveraged to secure competitiveness in the global market. Over the mid-to-long term, the plan is to strengthen competitiveness by increasing investment in cloud migration and AI transformation (AX).

First, IXIO will be advanced through LG Uplus's AI motto, 'Human-Centered AI.' While IXIO focused on security and usability last year, it will enter the stage of hyper-personalization beginning this year.

To this end, LG Uplus is differentiating its voice AI technology. Beyond simply converting text to speech, voice AI will identify speakers, understand the intent, context, and emotion behind questions, and provide customized responses. By enhancing IXIO with this voice AI technology into 'IXIO Pro,' it will evolve into an AI agent that proactively suggests information tailored to the user's situation.

Hong Beomsik, CEO of LG Uplus, is presenting the 'AI Business Strategy' at a press conference held at the Intercontinental Hotel in Barcelona, Spain, on March 4, 2026 (local time). Photo by Kang Jinhyung

CEO Hong's goal is to sell this advanced IXIO as a software product in the global market. He stated, "The first area for our global AI expansion is the voice domain," and added, "We are currently discussing selling the IXIO solution itself to overseas companies, and we are in talks with telecom operators in 13 countries."

In addition to IXIO, each technological component that makes up IXIO will also be sold as standalone software products. For example, technologies used for voice recognition will be offered individually, providing solutions at the technology level. CEO Hong explained, "There are several technologies that can give telecom operators a competitive edge," adding, "We can also run a software business by platformizing these technologies themselves."

In the enterprise (B2B) sector, the company is building an 'Enterprise AI Full Stack' that includes infrastructure, platforms, and services. The core of its AI infrastructure, the data center business, will be centered on the largest AIDC in the Seoul metropolitan area, scheduled for completion in Paju in 2027. For networks (NW), the company is securing future technologies such as 5G standalone (SA) and introducing autonomous network solutions.

In the platform domain, LG Uplus will leverage the K-ExaOne large language model (LLM), developed in collaboration with LG AI Research, to establish AI specialized for telecommunications. In the communications domain, the company will collaborate with global operators in four key areas: AI services, lifestyle, media, and financial sectors. In the AX domain, it will build an ecosystem with companies possessing technological capabilities in 14 fields, including voice AI, physical AI, and agentic AI, as well as with global telecom operators.

When asked about the expected timeline for IXIO's export results, CEO Hong responded, "Exporting the IXIO platform itself will likely occur before exporting its individual technologies," and added, "If possible, I think we may be able to export IXIO through one or two operators within this year."

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