SK Telecom has detailed how AI-RAN will deliver gains in both performance and energy efficiency
In sum – what to know:
AI-RAN impact – AI-driven scheduling, beam management and traffic prediction aim to improve throughput and reduce power consumption across 5G networks.
6G direction – SK Telecom is prioritizing AI-native architectures, shifting focus from speed to user-perceived quality and intelligent network behavior.
Key challenges – Data governance, multi-vendor interoperability and AI reliability remain critical barriers to scaling AI-powered networks.
Korean operator SK Telecom has outlined how AI-powered radio access networks (RAN) and AI-native architectures are expected to reshape mobile networks, following its recent collaboration with Ericsson spanning 5G to 6G.
The two companies signed a memorandum of understanding (MoU) in March to advance joint research, trials and potential commercialization through 2031, covering AI-RAN, 5G monetization, autonomous networks, zero trust security and 6G standardization.
In an interview with RCR Wireless News, Yu Takki, head of network technology office at SK Telecom, detailed how AI-RAN is expected to deliver gains in both performance and energy efficiency.
“AI-powered RAN is a next-generation wireless network technology that integrates AI with communications to enhance user-perceived performance and quality while enabling operational innovation, including energy savings,” he said.
From a performance standpoint, SK Telecom is focusing on AI-driven channel estimation and dynamic resource allocation to improve throughput and reduce interference. “In addition, in terms of radio resource scheduling, a reinforcement learning-based dynamic scheduler reallocates frequency, time, and spatial resources in real time, minimizing inter-cell interference,” Yu said.
AI is also being applied to beam management and mobility prediction, reducing latency and improving quality of service in dense environments. At the same time, operational efficiencies are expected through automation of network components and traffic-based optimization.
“From an operational innovation perspective, AI controls components of network equipment such as power amplifiers and RF chains across frequency bands according to network conditions, thereby reducing unnecessary power consumption,” he added.
However, scaling AI-RAN introduces challenges around data, interoperability and system reliability. “First, a data governance framework is required to reliably collect and store large-scale measurement data for AI model training. From a standardization perspective, it is necessary to ensure interoperability across multi-vendor equipment based on standardized interfaces defined by organizations such as the O-RAN Alliance. In addition, tools to ensure the reliability of AI-driven decisions, as well as management systems to continuously monitor the impact of complex algorithms on network latency and signal quality, are required,” Yu said.
Beyond 5G, the partnership is positioned as a step toward AI-native 6G networks, where communications and AI converge more tightly. “In the 6G era, communication networks will evolve beyond simple connectivity into converged networks of communication and AI that practically realize AI-based intelligence and autonomy, while delivering a wide range of high-quality AI services to users,” the executive said.
He added that SK Telecom aims to shift the industry toward prioritizing user-perceived quality over speed-centric competition. “To this end, the company is conducting in-depth reviews of required spectrum and key evolution and expansion technologies, and plans to focus on R&D of core candidate technologies for convergence of communication and AI in 2026,” he said.
SK Telecom is already conducting R&D across both communications and AI domains, including advanced radio technologies and AI-driven network intelligence, and plans to play an active role in shaping early 6G standards through international collaboration.
“SK Telecom will collaborate with global key partners to jointly develop core 6G communication technologies and new service technologies, while simultaneously advancing network intelligence and autonomy combined with AI to proactively prepare for the AI-native 6G era. Through these efforts, the company aims to shift the direction of network evolution from speed-based competition to intelligent networks centered on user experience,” the executive added.
