SK Telecom CEO Ryu Young-sang said the company plans to adopt Nvidia’s latest Blackwell graphics processing units for its data center, citing their efficiency compared to the H200 series.
“The Blackwell GPUs appear to be more efficient than the H200, so we plan to adopt them to meet demand,” Ryu told reporters following the company’s annual general shareholders meeting held at its headquarters in central Seoul.
The country's largest wireless carrier had initially planned to adopt Nvidia's H200 GPUs this year for its data center in Gasan, Seoul, but it appears to have decided to pivot to the newly unveiled Blackwell chips.
Ryu projected the Blackwell GPUs would be introduced in the second or third quarter of this year for its AI data center.
The plan comes as the South Korean government is planning to establish a national artificial intelligence computing center by 2027. The government said it will work with the private sector to secure high-performance GPUs.
The government initiative is currently undergoing a public bidding process. SK Telecom, joining other major local companies, has reportedly submitted a letter of intent for the bid and is reviewing various factors ahead of the final business proposal due in May.
Ryu said the company is in discussions with the government in regards to the national AI computing center project.
“We agree with the project’s purpose, but there are several complex conditions so we are discussing with the government,” he said. “Once these matters are resolved, I believe we can support establishing the nation’s AI infrastructure.”
He added that the company is open to contributing to the project in other ways as a telecommunications provider.
The remarks reflect SK Telecom’s growing focus on AI, with the ambition to transform the company from a telecom service provider to an AI tech company.
At the shareholders' meeting, Ryu reiterated the company’s commitment to generate new revenue through its AI business. “We aim to deliver tangible AI results and take the lead in building a ‘Korean-style AI ecosystem,’” he told shareholders.