SK Telecom added practically 400,000 5G subscribers throughout Q3
SK Telecom, South Korea’s largest telecom operator, ended the third quarter of the 12 months with a complete of 15.15 million subscribers within the 5G phase, up 21.5% from 12.5 million in the identical interval the earlier 12 months, the provider mentioned in its earnings assertion.
In the course of the third quarter of the 12 months, the Korean operator added practically 400,000 5G subscribers. On the finish of Q3, the operator’s 5G subscribers accounted for 66% of its total handset subscribers, up from 53% on the finish of September 2022.
Within the LTE phase, SK Telecom ended the interval with 15.45 million subscribers, down 2.7% from 15.87 million within the earlier quarter.
The Korean provider ended the quarter with a complete of 33.65 million cell subscribers, up 3.5% year-on-year.
In Q3, SK Telecom’s web revenue grew 25.5% year-on-year to KRW308 billion ($234 million), whereas its income rose 1.4% year-on-year to KRW4.40 trillion.
Cell ARPU reached KRW 29,913 in Q3, up 2.3% year-on-year, SK Telekom mentioned.
Earlier this 12 months, South Korea’s ICT ministry canceled a license owned by SK Telecom which had been meant to assist 5G companies through 28 GHz spectrum, citing an absence of deployment funding by the operator.
SK Telecom had been given the appropriate to make use of the 28 GHz band in 2018 and was required to put in a complete of 15,000 items of community tools by Might this 12 months. Nevertheless, SK Telecom had solely put in only one,650 items of 28 GHz tools as of final week and had no plans for additional installations, in line with the Ministry of Science and ICT.
In September 2023, SK Telecom introduced its imaginative and prescient to turn into a world AI firm and unveiled the AI Pyramid Technique, beneath which it’ll strengthen its personal competitiveness to deepen buyer relationships whereas working along with companions all through the world. The AI Pyramid Technique focuses on innovating business, society, and life centered round three key areas together with AI Infrastructure, AI Transformation (AIX) and AI Service.
“Within the space of AI Infrastructure, SK Telecom plans to safe and improve infrastructure capabilities that function the muse of an AI firm, comparable to AI information facilities, AI semiconductors, and multi-large language fashions (LLMs). AIX goals to innovate present fastened and cell telecommunications, media, and enterprise companies via AI, and develop the applying of AI to UAM and healthcare. Lastly, within the space of AI Service, SK Telecom plans to forge nearer relationships with prospects via a extremely competent private AI assistant and develop its scale by collaborating with international telecommunications firms,” the Korean telco mentioned.
“Going ahead, primarily based on its knowhow in working varied AI companies, SK Telecom plans to develop its presence within the AI service market by concurrently coming into abroad markets in cooperation with members of the World AI Telco Alliance,” the provider added.
