SK Telecom has announced that the results of research collaboration with 10 companies were presented at the O-RAN Global Plugfest 2024, a global event related to verification. O-RAN Global Plugfest 2024 is an international plugfest hosted by the O-RAN Alliance. SKT has been participating as the event organizer for three consecutive years since 2022, and is promoting its open RAN technology on the global stage.
SKT showcased its open RAN technology, which it is developing in collaboration with global manufacturers. The open RAN technology showcased this time is a core technology for realizing 'Telco Edge AI', SKT's next-generation infrastructure evolution vision, including virtualized base stations and AI-based wireless network optimization technology.
Through this 'Plugfest 2024', SKT, together with Ericsson, Nokia, and others, developed virtualized base stations of various structures and announced the results of an intensive analysis of their performance, capacity, and power consumption. In addition, the possibility of realizing wireless network efficiency was presented through research and development results that optimized the power consumption of open LAN base stations using AI technology. In the study, SKT added technological significance by successfully linking equipment and solutions from different manufacturers, including Broadcom, HCLTech, and VIAVI Solutions, based on open interfaces.
Ryu Tak-ki, Head, Infrastructure Technology Division, SKT
OpenLAN is a key technology for realizing ‘Telco Edge AI,’ and this achievement is significant in that it has made relevant technologies known to the global stage and presented the direction of technological evolution. We will continue to steadily prepare for the evolution into a future network through continuous research and development.