[CES 2020] SK Telecom partners with HK-based EV brand Byton

Published : Jan 8, 2020 - 15:55 Updated : Jan 9, 2020 - 14:14

South Korean mobile carrier SK Telecom said Tuesday it has signed a memorandum of agreement with Hong Kong-based all-electric vehicle brand Byton to cooperate on next-generation mobility.

Byton President Daniel Kirchert (left) shakes hands with Ryu Young-sang Vice President and Head of MNO Business of SK Telecom, after signing a memorandum of understanding on Tuesday (local time). (SK Telecom)

The two companies signed an MOU at the Consumer Electronics Show in Las Vegas, the world’s largest annual tech show that is currently underway.

Last year, Byton’s parent company, Future Mobility, signed a deal with Korea’s Myongshin to build electric sport utility vehicles in Korea -- with some 50,000 M-Byte models to be produced here starting in 2021.

Future cooperation between the two companies is expected to focus on the development and application of an integrated in-vehicle infotainment system. The M-Byte model, which features a 48-inch screen, is also likely to incorporate this IVI system.

SKT said it hopes to continue developing the system and make it compatible with its own 5G network, which could allow faster real-time data processing.

Meanwhile, SK Telecom introduced its own IVI system, which incorporates the T Map navigation software as well as music and video streaming formats, at CES 2020.

By Shim Woo-hyun (ws@heraldcorp.com)