Intensive Investment in 6G, Satellite Communications, and AIDC
Innovation with “Solid Essence and Definite Growth”
KT will invest 18 trillion won over the next five years to build an Artificial Intelligence (AI) grand transformation infrastructure. The company will leap into an 'AX Platform Company' that supports industrial AI transformation (AX) and discovers new value by intensively investing in building 6G, satellite communications, AI Data Centers (AIDC), and a token factory that supports AI operations.
Park Yoon-young, CEO of KT, held his first press conference since taking office 100 days ago at the Pullman Ambassador Seoul Eastside in Gwangjin-gu, Seoul on the 6th, and disclosed this strategy.
Park defined, “The AX platform company that KT aims for is a company that, as a national backbone telecommunications operator, takes responsibility for the present and future of South Korea's connectivity, and achieves overwhelming growth with platforms and innovative services that lead the AX era.”
According to this aim, the direction of corporate innovation was set upon two pillars: 'solid essence' and 'definite growth.'
First, to strengthen its inherent capabilities, which serve as the foundation for innovative growth, the company announced a 12 trillion won investment over three years. Specifically, 8 trillion won will be injected into next-generation network fields such as △6th generation mobile communications (6G) △satellite △data center interconnection. In addition, to prevent a recurrence of the unprecedented hacking incident experienced last year, the company plans to invest 4 trillion won in the information security sector, including building a zero-trust-based prevention and response system and doubling information security personnel.
Furthermore, to achieve 'definite growth' in the AI field based on its solid essence such as telecommunications infrastructure, the company will inject 5 trillion won over five years to build an AIDC with a total capacity of 1 gigawatt (GW). Along with the construction of the AIDC, an additional 1 trillion won will be injected to respond to AI traffic, expanding the submarine cable supply to over 90 Tbps. In addition, the company plans to build 'AI Edge,' a core base for implementing physical AI or autonomous driving services, at about 3,500 central offices nationwide to drive the realization of industry AX.
Park said, “The AIDC investment plan is entirely based on real demand,” adding, “We plan to invest 5 trillion won over five years to newly build about 25 locations nationwide.”
As KT's core new growth engines, he presented 'Token Factory' and 'Digital Finance Platform.' In connection with the newly built AIDC, a new business model will be prepared to support the creation, brokerage, billing, and optimization of tokens required for AI services. KT's largest digital infrastructure, including its domestic telecommunications networks and data centers, will be optimized for the token factory, which serves as the crude oil for AI operations.
In the financial sector, KT will also promote a stablecoin-based digital business utilizing group capabilities such as Kbank and BC Card. The vision is to preoccupy the stablecoin market, which has emerged as a core theme of next-generation finance, by combining existing financial service experience and digital infrastructure strengths.
Park emphasized, “Based on billing, settlement, and data center operation, which we do best, we will promote the token gateway business,” adding, “We plan to create a business structure in collaboration with global big tech, and nurture global new industries such as token factories and stablecoins to grow them into a 1 trillion won business by 2030.”
