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SK Telecom Deepens MWC Push With Global AI Tie-Ups and ‘Sovereign AI’ Package

The company is courting fellow carriers to build trusted, locally controlled AI infrastructure tailored to real industrial needs.

Overview

  • At MWC Barcelona, SK Telecom hosted an AIDC conference and introduced a Sovereign AI Package that links domestically operated data centers, its proprietary A.X K1 model, and enterprise-grade services to support data sovereignty.
  • CEO Jung Jai-hun met executives from Singtel Digital InfraCo, e& and NTT to discuss collaboration on AI data centers, models and next‑generation networks, and he is scheduled to meet leaders of Orange and Deutsche Telekom.
  • Days earlier, Jung unveiled an AI Native transformation and pledged investment exceeding several trillion won to refactor core IT systems and accelerate AI-driven, autonomous network operations.
  • SKT plans nationwide 1GW-class AI data centers, including a southwestern Korea site in collaboration with OpenAI, and aims to expand its Petasus AI Cloud offering to global customers.
  • The roadmap includes upgrading its sovereign foundation model from 519 billion to over 1 trillion parameters with multimodal support starting in the second half of 2026, plus industrial AI with SK hynix and joint 6G research with Nvidia and SK hynix.