SK Telecom said on the 23rd that it published its third 6G white paper, "ATHENA," outlining its mid- to long-term network evolution strategy and will showcase some related technologies at MWC26.
ATHENA stands for AI, Trust, Hyper-connectivity, Experience, opeN, Agility. SK Telecom, preparing for 6G (sixth-generation mobile communication) commercialization after 2030, presented strategies for operational efficiency, customer experience, and network revenue based on the assumptions of expanding AI convergence, diversifying services such as satellite communication, escalating security threats, and a shift in the operations paradigm.
The white paper presents six visions based on security, stability, and quality: AI-native, zero-trust security, integrated 5G·6G·satellite infrastructure, an open ecosystem, virtualization-based Cloud-Native, and maximizing customer experience. It forecast that the fusion of AI and networks will evolve into "AI for networks," which optimizes the network autonomously, and "networks for AI," which designs and operates the network tailored to AI services.
The ATHENA architecture encompasses the entire scope of the radio access network, core network, transport network, and network data platform. The radio domain advances to AI autonomous optimization based on virtualization and open interfaces, while the core and transport evolve into cloud-based systems where AI automatically manages traffic and anomalies. The data platform serves as a hub that leverages telecommunications network data for AI service development and personalization.
At MWC26, it will exhibit AI agents applied to networks, AI base station technology, antenna optimization based on On-device AI, and integrated communication-sensing technology. SK Telecom will also continue its activities in standards bodies such as 3GPP, ITU, and the O-RAN Alliance.
Ryu Tak-gi, head of network technology at SK Telecom, said, "We will lead the evolution of future communications infrastructure by combining AI, virtualization, openness, and zero-trust security with customer value as the top priority."