South Korea’s mobile carriers seek opportunities at CES 2020

South Korean mobile carriers SK Telecom and LG Uplus are ramping up efforts to find new business opportunities at the upcoming Consumer Electronics Show 2020 that kicks off in Las Vegas on Jan. 7.

Their participation in the world’s largest annual tech event is largely in line with their parent groups’ involvement in the show. Yet, the growing importance of 5G network in the electronics and smart mobility sectors is also an important factor, according to industry sources.

The capabilities of 5G network will be among the topics to be showcased and discussed. Other topics include automotive, blockchain, health care, home, immersive entertainment, robotics, esports and startups.

LG Uplus Vice Chairman and CEO Ha Hyun-hwoi and a team of executives will be participating in the event. They will seek future business opportunities, including the major players in self-driving car industry, the company said

Ha will be visiting the CES for the second time since his inauguration in 2018.

He will meet officials from Intel, as well as those from Hyundai Motor and Hyundai Mobis -- local players that LG Uplus is cooperating with in the self-driving car sector. The officials will also meet with other major players in the connected car industry to find relatable cooperation models that the mobile operator can refer to.

The CEO will also be in touch with officials from different business sectors, which make extensive use of information technology.

Facebook and T-mobile are some of the players that LGUplus is planning to meet, along with those from Samsung Electronics and LG Electronics to discuss about future 5G devices.

According to LG Uplus, Ha’s trip to the upcoming trade show comes in line with the mobile carrier’s new “digital transformation” initiative. Under the initiative, it recently reshuffled its structure, such as by creating a new department dedicated to transformation which is led by Chief Strategy Officer Park Jong-wook.

“Digital transformation of operating systems and services will be the key to creating differentiated values for our customers in the new 5G era,” Ha was quoted as saying in the statement.

SK Telecom CEO Park Jung-ho is also scheduled to attend CES 2020 as part of SK Group’s team, accompanying Executive Vice Chairman Chey Jae-won. Also included in the team are SK Innovation CEO Kim Jun and SK hynix CEO Lee Seok-hee.

In its booth, the group will introduce its latest technologies, including ones related to the mobility industry. The booth will be eight times bigger than this year’s. Details regarding the products to be showcased, agenda and business meetings will be disclosed later, the company said.

SKT has been participating in CES since 2015. The mobile carrier’s CEO Park has been attending the event since 2017.

Another domestic telecom giant KT, meanwhile, is not participating in next year’s CES.

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