Front view of SK Telecom’s exhibition hall at the MWC 2018

SK Telecom will roll out ambitious 5G diplomacy at the Mobile World Congress (MWC) 2018 in Barcelona, Spain, which lasts four days beginning February 26.

Around 2,300 ICT companies from 208 countries around the world will showcase their prowess in mobile technology at this year’s event.

Under the theme of “Perfect 5G,” SK Telecom will set up its own exclusive exhibition zone inside the 3rd exhibition hall which covers an area of 604㎡. It’s the 9th year that the company will have its exclusive exhibition area at the gathering. Scores of global ICT companies such as Samsung Electronics, LG Electronics, Nokia, and Qualcomm will also open their exhibition zones in the same spot.

To draw visitors’ attention, SK Telecom will install a 5m-high “Kinetic Display,” which has every part of its screen moving up and down, at the exhibit’s entrance.

For the MWC 2018, SK Telecom will lay out the company’s’ cutting-edge 5G technologies and announce the soon-to-be arriving 5G era.

The company will display various 5G-related technologies such as a real-time streaming technology of 5G NSA (Non-Standalone) standard defined by 3GPP, and a 5G-LTE interworking technology that transmits data ceaselessly by crossing between two frequency bands -- LTE frequency band of 2.6GHz and 5G frequency band of 3.5GHz·28GHz.

Visitors will get a glimpse of the future of AI through the company’s “hologram AI.” This AI technology will allow the mankind to have a completely new mobile communications experience.

The company’s 5G self-driving car, which successfully completed its trial driving early this February will also be presented. Through a separately installed screen, an image of its autonomous vehicle, V2X (Vehicle to every-thing) technology that spots passengers and accidents on the road, and its world’s renowned self-driving technologies such as 3D HD map will go on display. 

In the meantime, five startup companies will join SK Telecom at the world’s largest mobile industry gathering. Among them, three startups -- Optella, Kulcloud and Transcelestial – had been selected through SK Telecom and Facebook-led Telecom Infra Project (TIP) “Ecosystem Accelerator Center (TEAC) Seoul.” SK Telecom, the nation’s top mobile carrier, will help them set up separate exhibition booths and hold business meetings at the venue.

SK Telecom’s senior leadership will seek cooperation with world’s leading 5G companies. Park Jung-ho, the company’s CEO and President, is scheduled to meet with GSMA (Global System for Mobile Communications Association) Board a day before the 2018 MWC’s opening on Feb.25 to seek global cooperation in 5G technologies, which will be commercialized shortly. During the MWC 2018, he will seek business opportunities with global ICT companies.

Meanwhile, the company’s five technologies and services have been nominated for the 2018 Global Mobile (GLOMO) Awards, They are: "T-Mano,” new platform that manages virtualized networks more efficiently; "T Map x NUGU,” the company’s AI navigation service; “Live Care,” which monitors animals’ physical changes through LoRa, a separate IoT network; “Perfect 5G,” self-driving related communications technologies; and Technology co-developed with Ericsson that reduces intervention of LTE base station and saves power. Winners for each category will be announced during the MWC 2018.