Next month, the Mobile World Congress (MWC) 2025 in Barcelona will witness a fierce competition among South Korea's top three telecom companies – SK Telecom, KT, and LG Uplus – as they showcase their latest advancements in artificial intelligence (AI) technology.

SK Telecom: Elevating Network Value with AI

SK Telecom will focus on enhancing the value of mobile networks through AI, highlighting the evolution of telecom infrastructure to simultaneously provide communication services and AI inference. A key demonstration will be the "AI Base Station" (AI-RAN) technology, which utilizes general-purpose servers equipped with various chipsets, including GPUs, to deliver both communication and AI services.

The company will also unveil "AI Routing" technology, which reduces server load by processing simple AI tasks on-device. This technology intelligently allocates service delivery between LLM-powered servers and SLM-embedded devices based on real-time assessment of optimal inference performance.

KT: Blending K-Culture with AI Innovation

KT will captivate international audiences by presenting seven themed spaces that combine Korean culture with cutting-edge AI. The "K-Office" will feature AI agent solutions that enhance work efficiency using K-AI models. The "K-Stadium" will showcase AI real-time translation technology for stadium announcers, developed by KT DS. The "K-Lab" will offer insights into KT's vision for future network technologies.

Additionally, KT will collaborate with small and medium-sized enterprises to create an "AICT Cooperation Pavilion." This pavilion will facilitate investment and export opportunities for participating companies through programs like investment consultations with European venture capitalists, organized in partnership with Korea Venture Investment and GSMA.

LG Uplus: Driving Digital Transformation with AI and RTK

LG Uplus will highlight digital transformation (DX) case studies from its domestic partners, leveraging its proprietary AI and RTK (Real-Time Kinematic) technologies. The company will collaborate with NCSoft's AI subsidiary, NC AI, to integrate AI technologies into customer services.

LG Uplus will also support NC AI's need for a stable service environment across various AI domains, including audio, graphics, chatbots, and machine translation, through its AI solutions and AI data centers. Furthermore, LG Uplus will partner with road data distributor Hugh Data to innovate road data services using its RTK solution, which provides centimeter-level location accuracy.

The AI Battlefield at MWC 2025

MWC 2025 will serve as a crucial platform for these Korean telecom giants to demonstrate their AI capabilities and strategies. SK Telecom's focus on network AI, KT's blend of culture and technology, and LG Uplus' emphasis on DX partnerships highlight the diverse approaches to AI innovation.

As AI continues to reshape the telecom landscape, the competition among these companies at MWC 2025 will provide valuable insights into the future of AI-driven communication and services.