Ericsson Named Key Global Technology Partner in SK Telecom Hyper-AI Consortium

• Ericsson supports Korea’s government-backed AI-RAN initiative, reinforcing its AI-native network leadership, long-term SK Telecom partnership, and commitment to Korea’s 6G momentum
• Ericsson named sole global vendor among main partners in Korea’s national Hyper-AI Network project

STOCKHOLM - Ericsson (NASDAQ: ERIC) announced it has been selected as a sole global technology partner in the SK Telecom-led consortium for the Hyper-AI Network Infrastructure Demonstration Project, a government-backed initiative led by Korea’s Ministry of Science and ICT and the National Information Society Agency. The project aims to build and validate AI-RAN pilot networks as a foundational element of Korea’s national “AI Highway” agenda and its broader ambition to lead the next era of AI and 6G innovation, according to the official website of Ericsson. 

As the only global network technology company selected as a main consortium partner, Ericsson will play a defining role in advancing Korea’s ambitions for 6G and physical AI. Building on its leadership in 5G Advanced and AI-native networks, Ericsson will contribute an end-to-end network foundation designed to connect, coordinate, and continuously optimize intelligent machines and autonomous industrial operations. This will help demonstrate how future networks can evolve beyond connectivity into a critical platform for physical AI – powered by Ericsson AI RAN, Ericsson Intelligent Automation Platform (EIAP), and Ericsson AI-powered rApps – enabling intelligent automation, distributed AI processing, and new network capabilities across the broader solution.

The Hyper-AI Network Infrastructure Demonstration Project is designed to validate ultra-low latency, high reliability, differentiated connectivity, large-capacity uplink, distributed AI computing, mobility, and network autonomy capabilities required for physical AI use cases such as autonomous transport, industrial safety monitoring, and humanoid robotics. Through the project, SK Telecom will build AI-RAN pilot networks and demonstrate three physical AI services through 2027, together with a consortium of network, AI, robotics, and industrial partners.

As part of the consortium, Ericsson will contribute to the development and demonstration of an AI-RAN pilot network that combines advanced radio access network (RAN) capabilities, 5G Standalone expertise, AI-RAN innovations, and intelligent network automation. Ericsson’s contribution extends beyond AI for network operations to include AI in the RAN and time-critical, 5G Advanced capabilities that enable physical AI and connected intelligence applications.

In the second phase of the project, Ericsson’s AI-RAN pilot network is expected to be applied to a real logistics environment at KG Mobility’s Pyeongtaek plant, extending the demonstration from laboratory validation to practical industrial deployment.

Ericsson’s technology contribution will include its open network management and automation capabilities, delivered through Ericsson Intelligent Automation Platform (EIAP) and a range of AI-powered Ericsson rApps to demonstrate autonomous network control, intelligent resource orchestration, and real-time network optimization for physical AI services.

Sibel Tombaz, Head of Customer Unit Korea, Ericsson, says: “Being selected as a key global technology partner in this government-backed Hyper-AI Network consortium is a significant recognition of Ericsson’s technology leadership and our long-term partnership with SK Telecom. Korea is moving with clear ambition to shape the future of AI-native networks and 6G, and Ericsson is proud to contribute our global expertise in 5G, AI-RAN, orchestration, and intelligent network automation to this important national initiative. We look forward to working closely with SK Telecom and the consortium partners to help turn Korea’s 6G vision into real industrial value.”

Takki Yu, VP and Head of Network R&D at SK Telecom, says: “As a key national project supporting Korea’s Hyper-AI Network strategy, SK Telecom is pleased to collaborate with Ericsson as a key technology partner to advance AI-RAN technology through global cooperation. Together, we aim to build a strategic win-win partnership, demonstrate real industrial value, and help strengthen Korea’s AI-RAN technology capabilities and ecosystem for the future.”

The selection highlights Ericsson’s technology leadership and the strength of its long-standing partnership with SK Telecom. It also reflects the trust built through years of collaboration on network innovation and Ericsson’s proven ability to support operators in deploying high-performing, programmable, and future-ready networks.

Korea has consistently been one of the world’s most advanced and competitive mobile markets, with strong national focus on AI, next-generation networks, and industrial digitalization. Ericsson’s role in this initiative demonstrates the company’s commitment to supporting Korea’s 6G momentum and helping shape network capabilities that will enable new forms of AI-powered industry, automation, and human-machine collaboration.

For physical AI services, such as robots, autonomous vehicles, industrial sensors, and intelligent machines, AI-RAN can help distribute computation across devices, radio access networks, edge infrastructure, and data centers. This can reduce device burden, improve responsiveness, support longer battery life, and enable more reliable real-time decision making in complex industrial environments.

Project scope

The SK Telecom-led consortium will verify AI-RAN pilot network performance and physical AI service readiness across multiple industrial settings. The project is expected to cover network slicing, 5G standalone capabilities, AI-based network autonomy, service management and orchestration, distributed AI computing resources, and multiple physical AI use cases including patrol robots, autonomous transport, and humanoid low-power mode.

The initiative will also generate valuable insights for the broader AI-RAN ecosystem by comparing different vendor architectures, computing resource configurations, and deployment models in practical environments. These learnings are expected to contribute to future standardization and ecosystem development as Korea continues to advance toward 6G.