SK Telecom, South Korea's leading telecommunications provider under SK Group, announced ambitious plans to transform the country into an artificial intelligence (AI) data center hub for the Asia-Pacific region. Chief Executive Officer Ryu Young-sang unveiled the strategy, named the 'AI Infrastructure Superhighway', at the SK AI Summit in Seoul, outlining the company’s vision for creating a cutting-edge AI infrastructure.
The initiative centers around building a hyperscale AI data center, powered initially by over 100 megawatts of electricity, with future plans to scale up to a gigawatt-level capacity. SK Telecom plans to launch a testbed for the data center next month in Pangyo, a tech-focused suburb south of Seoul. This facility will leverage Nvidia's latest chips and advanced AI-related technology, representing the company’s commitment to cutting-edge infrastructure.
According to Ryu, SK Telecom aims to position South Korea among the top three AI leaders globally by establishing an advanced AI ecosystem, including data centers, Graphics Processing Units as a Service (GPUaaS), and edge AI technologies. The company’s data center in western Seoul will also be repurposed as an AI-specific facility in collaboration with global cloud provider Lambda, starting in December. This transformation is part of SK Telecom's broader goal to provide GPUaaS, a scalable cloud computing solution tailored for AI processing.
Additionally, SK Telecom plans to invest approximately 100 billion won ($72.9 million) starting next year in developing a sovereign AI system, customized to meet the unique requirements of the South Korean market. The company is also pushing the integration of edge AI technology, which combines telecommunications and AI computing for enhanced network efficiency and aims to apply this AI infrastructure to sixth-generation (6G) networks in the future.
These strategic investments and technological advancements signal SK Telecom’s drive to place South Korea at the forefront of AI innovation in the Asia-Pacific.