SK Telecom develops key tech for 6G evolution with Intel

SK Telecom and Intel developed Inline Service Mesh utilizing Intel Xeon processors with built in AI

Korean telco SK Telecom announced that, in collaboration with Intel, it has successfully developed technology to reduce communication delays necessary for the evolution of a 6G core architecture.

In a release, the Asian carrier explained that the core network is the gateway through which all voice and data traffic generated from a customer’s mobile device passes through to access the Internet network, adding that it is a mobile communication service system that is responsible for security and service quality through the inter-connection of various systems.

SK Telecom also noted that the 6G core architecture will be required to have higher flexibility and safety than previous generations of communications and to provide stable AI service quality and technologies to customers by embedding intelligent and automation technologies.

“As network complexity continues to increase, the process of sending and receiving messages is frequently recreated. Therefore, communication delays will increase compared to before. It is difficult to address these limitations with communication standard technologies for interconnection between unit functions within the existing Core network,” SK Telekom said.

Inline Service Mesh, a technology the two companies developed utilizing Intel Xeon processors with built in AI, is capable of increasing the communication speed within the core network by reducing latency between unit functions without proxy, according to the company.

Through this technology development, AI, which requires a large amount of computation, can be applied to the core network in a wider variety of models. SK Telecom has already commercialized a technology that reduces wireless resources by 40% and improves connectivity by analyzing movement patterns of real users in real time. Through this cooperation, the two companies say they will be able to reduce communication delays by 70% and increase service efficiency by 33% in the core network through the application of the 6G core architecture.

The Korean telco said it aims to apply the results of this study to commercial equipment next year. A technical white paper has been published that describes the technology, development process and benefits, the carrier said.

Based on the results of this study, SK Telecom and Intel plan to continue research and development for traffic processing improvement technologies incorporating AI technology in various areas of the core network.

“We have made another technical achievement through continuous technology development cooperation with Intel to secure leadership in 6G,” said Yu Takki, vice president and head of infra tech at SK Telecom. “We will continue our research and make efforts to commercialize AI-based 6G core architecture.”

“Our research and development efforts with SK Telecom continue to deliver innovations that have been deployed by communications service providers worldwide”, said Dan Rodriguez, corporate vice president of Intel Network & Edge Solutions Group.  “By leveraging the latest Intel Xeon processors with built in AI features, our companies are able to drive both performance and efficiency improvements that will be vital to the future core networks.

SK Telecom had previously released a 6G white paper that focuses on the key requirements for 6G standardization and the telco’s views regarding the direction of future network evolution.

The Korean carrier said the new white paper contains its views on 6G key requirements and 6G evolution methodology, along with its opinions on the latest trends in frequency standardization. The 6G white paper also provides analysis, development directions and methodologies pertaining to promising 6G use cases, technology trends as well as and candidate frequencies.