▲ Bae Gyung-hoon, Deputy Prime Minister and Minister of Science and ICT
Bae Gyung-hoon, Deputy Prime Minister and Minister of Science and ICT, defined telecommunications companies as AI infrastructure and platform firms, calling for investments in next-generation networks.
The Ministry of Science and ICT held a meeting this morning (July 23) with the chief executive officers of the three major mobile carriers—SK Telecom, KT, and LG Uplus—to discuss ways to advance networks in the AI era and stabilize people's livelihoods.
In his opening remarks, Deputy Prime Minister Bae Gyung-hoon emphasized, "Telecom companies are no longer just network providers; they are AI infrastructure and platform firms that densely connect daily life and industrial sites to keep AI operating seamlessly."
The three telecom companies expressed their commitment to investing in the advancement of next-generation networks. SK Telecom presented its vision for future network evolution such as 6G and AI-RAN along with strengthened AI competitiveness, while KT proposed plans to expand and diversify submarine cable capacity and secure competitiveness in low-Earth orbit satellite networks.
LG Uplus announced plans to build a 5G standalone (SA) network within the year and implement an AI-based autonomous operation network.
The government and the three telecom companies agreed to form and operate a public-private consultative body starting next month (August) to discuss a package of institutional improvements and regulatory easing to promote network investments.
Regarding the stabilization of public livelihoods, the three carriers plan to announce customer benefit enhancement measures within this month (July), which include expanding lifestyle-related memberships and partnership discounts, and providing temporary additional rate plan benefits for young people and vulnerable groups.
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