The combined operating profit of domestic mobile telecommunication companies (SK Telecom, KT, and LG..
!["Aidat," an artificial intelligence (AI) assistant serviced by SK Telecom, summarizes the contents of the call. [Picture = SK Telecom]](https://wimg.mk.co.kr/news/cms/202411/09/news-p.v1.20241108.769488fe646748a3b28f27d912a548ee_P1.png)
The combined operating profit of domestic mobile telecommunication companies (SK Telecom, KT, and LG U+) exceeded KRW 1 trillion. The combined sales amount to 15 trillion won. Thanks to the introduction of 5G mobile communication and artificial intelligence (AI), the company has continued its strong performance relay from the first quarter to the third quarter of this year.
According to the telecommunications industry on the 9th, SK Telecom’s operating profit in the third quarter of this year was 533.3 billion won. Compared to the same period last year, it increased by 7.1 percent. KT also earned 464.1 billion won, up 44.2 percent. LG U+’s operating profit fell 3.2 percent to 246 billion won during the same period. The combined operating profit exceeds 1.2 trillion won.
Sales of SK Telecom rose 2.94% year-on-year to KRW 4.5321 trillion. KT fell 0.6% to 6.6546 trillion won during the same period, and LG U+ rose 6.2% to 3.8013 trillion won. The combined sales amount is 14.988 trillion won.
For each mobile carrier, SK Telecom succeeded in improving its constitution by improving efficiency and strengthening its fundamental competitiveness through AI transformation across the company. SK Telecom plans to speed up the transition to AI companies by selecting and focusing on AI data centers, AI company-to-business transactions (B2B), and AI company-to-consumer transactions (B2C), which are expected to be quickly monetized.
KT’s profitability has increased significantly due to the early reflection of the cost of wage negotiations in the previous quarter. Although the media content business was sluggish, the proportion of 5G subscribers reached 76% of the total due to the favorable launch of flagship terminals. Business-only lines and AI contact center (AICC) businesses are also growing.
LG U+ has expanded evenly in infrastructure sectors such as Internet Data Center (IDC), corporate solutions, and corporate lines. In the smart home sector, the number of subscription lines has increased due to on-device AI set-top boxes and hyper-personalized services through AI agents. The number of mobile communication (MNO) subscription lines also exceeded 20 million for the first time. However, it is explained that operating profit has decreased as the new integrated computer network reflects the cost of amortizing intangible assets.
Mobile carriers are planning to expand their business areas with AI agents. Most of the existing AI services were chatbots that sought answers based on stored data when users asked questions. However, as the amount of data learning accumulates and algorithms become more sophisticated, it is possible to perform more and more complex tasks such as reservation of accommodation and transportation, ordering and delivery of goods.
SK Telecom will advance its AI assistant A-dot (for domestic use) and enter the global market as an ester (for overseas use). Basically, it is equipped with functions such as recording and summarizing calls, daily and schedule management, personal work assistance, and prevention of telephone financial fraud. Just as A-Dot connects to obtain information from multiple AI models such as ChatGPT, Claude, and Purple Lexy, it is estimated that Ester will be the same.
LG U+ introduced its AI secretary Exio on the 7th. On the first day of its release, Exio caused unstable application access as users flocked. What stands out is the ability to answer and see calls instead of calls. It’s useful when you can’t answer the phone or you don’t want to call and talk to a number you don’t know.
KT is also working on developing AI assistant services. KT is focusing on building a Korean AI model in partnership with Microsoft. The Gini TV set-top box 4, an Internet TV (IPTV) receiver, is planned to be programmed so that it can operate home appliances and deliver food.
An official from the information technology (IT) industry said, “We are still in the early stages of AI secretaries that are difficult to play their role properly, so investment in funds and technology development are continuously taking place,” adding, “Since the market itself is still in its infancy, it is expected to compete to attract users while focusing on generalization of services.”
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