MWC 2026: SK Telecom Lays Out Plan to Rebuild Its Core Around AI

Why It Matters

This transformation could redefine telecom business models by making AI the operating layer, boosting service personalization, efficiency, and Korea’s AI ecosystem competitiveness.

Key Takeaways

• SK Telecom to build >1GW AI data centres
• Upgrading LLM to over 1 trillion parameters
• Rewriting billing, sales, network systems for AI
• Deploying AI-native autonomous network operations, Zero Trust
• Integrated AI agent unifies portal, store, and contact center

Pulse Analysis

SK Telecom’s announcement at Mobile World Congress marks a watershed moment for the telecommunications sector, where AI is moving from a peripheral tool to the backbone of the business model. By branding the effort as an “AI Native” strategy, the Korean carrier signals its intent to embed machine‑learning capabilities into every layer of its operations, from product design to customer interaction. This holistic approach mirrors a broader industry trend in which operators seek to differentiate themselves through predictive services, dynamic pricing, and real‑time network optimization, all powered by advanced AI algorithms.

The technical blueprint centers on three pillars: a massive hyperscale AI data‑centre infrastructure, a next‑generation large language model, and autonomous network management. SK Telecom plans to roll out data centres with more than one gigawatt of compute capacity, positioning Korea as a regional AI hub and attracting global cloud partners. Its sovereign LLM, already at 519 billion parameters, will be expanded to exceed one trillion parameters with multimodal capabilities, enabling sophisticated image, voice and video processing. Coupled with AI‑RAN, Zero Trust security and AI‑driven billing, the network will self‑optimize, detect faults, and enforce granular access controls without human intervention.

From a market perspective, the initiative could reshape competitive dynamics in Asia and beyond. Enterprises that partner with SK Telecom will gain access to AI‑enhanced services such as real‑time defect detection for manufacturing and personalized consumer offers, potentially accelerating digital transformation across multiple sectors. The scale of investment also underscores South Korea’s ambition to rank among the world’s top three AI powers, a goal that may draw foreign capital and talent to the region. However, execution risk remains high, as integrating AI at this depth demands robust data governance, talent pipelines, and continuous model oversight.