SKT Vows to Build "AI Highway" for 6G Era...Aims to Continue the CDMA Legacy

Leading the Way in AI Infrastructure to Prepare for 6G

SK Telecom is leading the way in building an artificial intelligence (AI) highway as the sixth-generation mobile communication (6G) era approaches in 2030. Drawing on its experience from 30 years ago as the driving force behind the world’s first commercialization of Code Division Multiple Access (CDMA)—an achievement that established Korea as a global leader in digital mobile communications—the company is now committed to delivering advanced infrastructure that combines networks, data centers, and AI models to achieve a quantum leap forward.

On April 8, SK Telecom held a press briefing at Samhwa Tower in Euljiro, Seoul, reflecting on the history of the domestic telecom industry ignited by CDMA commercialization. The company stated, "Just as the nationwide telecom infrastructure built after the commercialization of CDMA 30 years ago laid the foundation for the growth of the information and communication technology (ICT) industry, we will now secure competitiveness by building an AI highway."

Jonghoon Lee, Executive Vice President and Head of Network Strategy at SK Telecom, said, "In the AI era, networks are evolving beyond simple means of data delivery into 'intelligent infrastructure' that learns and processes data." He added, "This will be the foundation that determines the productivity and speed of innovation across all industries, including manufacturing, logistics, healthcare, and finance."

CDMA is a second-generation (2G) mobile communication technology that allows multiple users to share a single frequency band by assigning unique codes, enabling simultaneous calls without interference. In 1996, Samsung Electronics launched the CDMA phone 'SCH-100,' and Korea Mobile Telecommunications (now SK Telecom) began commercial services in Seoul and the metropolitan area in April of the same year, making Korea the first country in the world to commercialize digital mobile communications. Within nine months, a nationwide network was established, and mobile communications quickly became infrastructure for the entire population.

On April 1, 1996, former Prime Minister Lee Soo-sung is seen making a test call at the code division multiple access (CDMA) mobile phone inauguration ceremony.

The nationwide telecom infrastructure built after the commercialization of CDMA laid the foundation for the growth of the ICT industry. The number of mobile subscribers exceeded 10 million in 1998 and rapidly increased, surpassing fixed-line telephone subscriptions in 1999. The proliferation of networks spurred the growth of digital devices such as mobile phones and smartphones, as well as key material sectors like semiconductors, and provided the basis for the boom in K-content such as game phones, music phones, and dramas.

With the rapid development of ICT, the value-added share of the information and communication industry in Korea’s gross domestic product (GDP) grew from 2.2% in 1996 to 13.1% in 2025, while the industry’s scale expanded from 17.08 trillion won to 304 trillion won. According to the Ministry of Science and ICT, IT industry exports—including semiconductors and devices—increased from USD 41.2 billion in 1996 to USD 264.3 billion last year, about a 6.4-fold increase. The IT sector has consistently accounted for over 30% of Korea’s total export volume, becoming a central pillar of the nation’s exports.

The commercialization of CDMA in Korea was designated as an 'IEEE Milestone' in 2024 by the Institute of Electrical and Electronics Engineers (IEEE), recognizing its technological achievement as comparable to the invention of the transistor and the birth of the Internet. The 'IEEE Milestone' is often referred to as the Nobel Prize of the global ICT field.

Executive Vice President Lee stated, "Mobile communications have evolved every 10 years, and especially with 5G, SK Telecom has transformed from a 'telecom carrier' into an 'AI company.' SK Telecom launched the A. (Aidot) service in 2022 and has been strengthening its full-stack AI competitiveness in data centers, models, and services."

Just as Korea built a 'telecom highway' that connected the entire nation with the strategic decision to adopt CDMA 30 years ago, Executive Vice President Lee assessed that Korea now stands at a turning point to build an 'AI highway' that will carry data and AI. While telecom infrastructure connected people, the foundation is now expanding to connect data, AI, and even entire industries. Infrastructure combining ultra-high-speed, ultra-low-latency networks, data centers, and AI models is now considered a key element determining the competitiveness of future industries.

Naechan Lee, Professor of Economics at Hansung University, predicted, "Just as the world’s first CDMA commercialization became the starting point for Korea’s leap in ICT, the building of AI infrastructure will be the new turning point that will shape Korea’s competitiveness for the next 30 years."

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