Telcos to show off mobility projects at expo

South Korean telecom operators will feature new mobility technology, from flying cars to autonomous vehicles, at the Seoul Smart Mobility Expo 2021, which kicked off at the Oil Tank Culture Park in western Seoul on Thursday.

SK Telecom said it will unveil the latest developments of its unmanned aerial mobility (UAM) service project in partnership with local defense company Hanwha Systems Co., Korea Airports Corp. and the Korea Transport Institute at the three-day event.

The wireless carrier said visitors can virtually experience the service from its reservation system to a ride through a virtual reality (VR) video.

Last year, South Korea unveiled its plan to commercialize UAM services by 2025 to help overcome urban traffic congestion.

Under the partnership, SK Telecom will establish a network for air traffic communication and develop a platform that connects UAM services with other modes of transportation.

Smaller rival LG Uplus Corp. said it will unveil its self-driving car, which can park on its own, while another telecom operator KT will also show off its self-driving car platform, as well as its traffic management platform for UAMs.

LG Uplus first unveiled its autonomous parking technology, which uses its high-speed 5G network, in December last year.

The carrier said it developed the technology with Hanyang University's ACE Lab. (Yonhap)