Only code division multiple access (CDMA) succeeded during the IMF era. Going forward, it is important to build trustworthy network safety management and AI-RAN (radio access network).
This year marks the 30th anniversary of Korea's success in commercializing CDMA as the world's first. CDMA is a second-generation (2G) digital mobile communication technology in which multiple users share the same frequency band simultaneously using unique codes. Lee Nae-chan, a professor of economics at Hansung University, said this on the 8th at Samhwa Tower in Jung-gu, Seoul, at an event prepared by SK Telecom to shed light on the history and future of mobile communications to mark the 30th anniversary of CDMA.
Korea's mobile communications industry began in 1984 with the introduction of car phones by Korea Mobile Telecommunications Service Co., Ltd. Then, starting with the 1988 Seoul Olympics, the nation's first portable mobile phone service launched, and analog-based mobile communications (1G, first generation) began to spread in earnest.
However, in the first generation system, only one person could use a single frequency, leading to difficulties such as frequent call drops. People who were not assigned a frequency when moving between areas sometimes could not use the service. Because of this, the industry continued its attempts to convert the analog method to digital. The analog method carries voice directly on radio waves. But the digital method converts voice into two signals, 0 and 1, compresses it, and sends it, reducing capacity. It was efficient because more users could share the same frequency band.
The 2G market was a contest between time division multiple access (TDMA) and CDMA. TDMA divides time into slices. Multiple users take turns using a single frequency in time-slot units. But when the number of users grows, capacity becomes insufficient. CDMA splits digitally compressed voice signals, attaches codes to each fragment, and transmits them simultaneously. The reassembled codes reproduce the voice.
In the 1990s global market, TDMA-based systems, centered on Europe, were mainstream. CDMA was theoretically superior but was considered difficult to commercialize because it required sophisticated signal processing and high-performance digital technology. However, the government at the time judged it an opportunity to leap forward as a technology leader and injected 99.6 billion won to develop CDMA technology. Korea Mobile Telecommunications, the Electronics and Telecommunications Research Institute (ETRI), Qualcomm, Samsung Electronics, and LG Electronics implemented the technology into actual services. In particular, after the Kim Young-sam administration began in 1993 and Sun Kyung (now SK Group) acquired Korea Mobile Telecommunications in 1994, SK Telecom was born, accelerating the timeline for CDMA commercialization.
According to ETRI, Korea's CDMA industry grew at an average annual rate of 37.2% from 1996 to 2001, recording a cumulative production value of 42 trillion won. It also generated a production inducement effect of 125 trillion won and job creation for 1.42 million people. The commercialization of CDMA was recognized in 2024 by the Institute of Electrical and Electronics Engineers (IEEE) as an "IEEE Milestone." The IEEE Milestone is called the "Nobel Prize of the global ICT field."
After the commercialization of CDMA, domestic mobile communications evolved through 3G (third generation) to the current 5G (fifth generation). The 6G (sixth generation) era is expected to arrive in 2030. SK Telecom emphasized that it must build an "AI expressway" that carries communications data and AI going forward. SK Telecom launched the adot service in 2022 and is strengthening its AX (AI transformation) business, including AI data centers, models, and services.
Lee Jong-hoon, executive vice president and head of network strategy at SK Telecom, said that the company would strengthen businesses that combine AI and networks. The idea is to transmit wireless signals with AI to improve performance and save energy through AI traffic forecasting. For example, the company was able to monitor demand for a recent BTS event held in Gwanghwamun, Seoul, using AI.
Lee said, "In the AI era, networks are evolving beyond a simple means of transmitting data into 'intelligent infrastructure' that learns and processes data," adding, "This will become the foundation that determines the productivity and pace of innovation in industries such as manufacturing, logistics, healthcare, and finance."