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| Yoo Young-sang, head of mobile network operator business at SK Telecom, speaks during a press conference at the company's 5G smart office in Seoul, Thursday. / Courtesy of SK Telecom |
By Baek Byung-yeul
SK Telecom will establish fifth-generation (5G) clusters nationwide to offer locally tailored services for users and take the lead in the use of the super-fast network in the business-to-business sector, the mobile carrier said Thursday.
The telecom company said what it calls a "5G cluster" refers to a region connected by 5G networks and other information technologies such as artificial reality (AR), virtual reality (VR) and artificial intelligence (AI) on the back of an ultra-dense network infrastructure.
To achieve the plan, the company will designate key areas as 5G clusters including 10 key shopping districts in the country, sports stadiums, e-sports arenas and tourist attractions.
The mobile carrier added it came up with the plan to allow 5G users to have a better and more specialized network service and help the country accelerate the development of 5G-related industries.
"Many people say the 5G network services will become one of the growth engines for the economy," Yoo Young-sang, head of SK Telecom's mobile network operator business, said during a press conference at its 5G smart office in Seoul.
"At a time when lifestyle and industry are expected to undergo significant paradigm transitions, we decided to create 5G clusters nationwide to offer consumers better 5G experience, help the country lead 5G-related businesses in the global market and help boost regional economies," he said.
Visitors to the 10 popular destinations can receive locally tailored services, the company said. The areas include Seoul's Gangnam, Gwanghwamun, Konkuk University, Hongik University and Jamsil areas, Daegu's Dongseongno, Daejeon's Dunsan-dong and Busan's Nampo-dong.
To contribute to the local economies, it is joining hands with small business owners and improving customer benefits by providing an AR-based membership service. It will also start an "AR Zoo" service at Olympic Park and Yeouido Park in Seoul, enabling visitors to interact with various animals created by AR technology.
For B2B sectors, it plans to establish eight kinds of 5G B2B clusters including smart factories, smart hospitals, smart logistics and distribution and smart cities.
"We are currently constructing smart factory systems at SK Hynix plants. We expect our 5G services will enable many companies in the manufacturing sector to use the automated logistics system and control manufacturing process in real time," Yoo said. "By accumulating practical experiences with SK hynix, we will bring about technological innovation."
