SK Telecom Co., South Korea’s largest telecommunications company, and Bharti Airtel, the world’s third-largest mobile carrier by subscribers will work together to advance India’s nationwide mobile network.

SK Telecom said on Wednesday that it entered a strategic partnership with India’s Bharti Airtel on network technology transfer. Under the terms of agreement, SK Telecom will apply its artificial intelligence (AI)-based network solution to India’s nationwide telecom network operated by Bharti Airtel by 2019 and partner up in development of fifth generation (5G) mobile network and Internet of Things (IoT) technologies.

The agreement, which includes export of network solution technology, reportedly is worth up to 100 billion won ($88.6 million).

SK Telecom’s AI network solution, developed with its internet technology solutions affiliate SK C&C, is expected to help “dramatically” improve India’s network experience through advanced digital tools including machine learning and big data, said SK Telecom.

Bharti Airtel is India’s largest telecom company with nearly 300 million subscribers. It also is the world’s third-largest mobile carrier by subscribers following China Mobile and Great Britain`s Vodafone with 860 million and 470 million subscribers, respectively.

Shares of SK Telecom closed Wednesday at 249,000 won, up 1.01 percent from the previous session.

By Kim Gyu-sik

[ⓒ Pulse by Maeil Business Newspaper & mk.co.kr, All rights reserved]