SKT Establishes Interconnected Multi-Access Edge Computing Platforms with Bridge Alliance

SK Telecom, a leading South Korean mobile carrier, joined hands with several companies to establish interconnected Multi-Access Edge Computing (MEC) platforms across multiple markets. Bridge Alliance, an alliance involving Asian, Middle Eastern, and African telecom operators, announced the edge cloud interconnectivity’s first phase completion.

Bridge Alliance

Moreover, Bridge Alliance aims to deliver seamless, high-functioning roaming services by combining and optimizing its members’ resources and practices. Some of its members include South Korea’s SKT, Malaysia’s Maxis, Saudi Arabia’s STC, Africa’s Airtel, Thailand’s AIS, and Australia’s Optus. Currently, Bridge Alliance brings together 34 mobile service providers, providing quality network coverage and services to over 900 million subscribers.

As Bridge Alliance stated, the first phase completion demonstrates MEC’s capabilities, enabling the members to provide customers with edge-computing services. Aside from offering low latency operations, MEC technologies support cloud gaming, automatic guided vehicles, and mixed, virtual, and augmented reality. MEC platforms could also significantly improve self-driving vehicle technologies, portable drones and robots, and smart factories’ performance.

5G MEC Platforms

Mobile carriers continue to invest in MEC technologies globally, establishing MEC services and linking them to similar platforms. Since 2020, SK Telecom has been taking part in the 5G MEC ecosystem developments through Bridge Alliance projects. As a result, SK Telecom deployed the 5G online game World of Warships in collaboration with Singaporean telecom company Singtel.

Under the deal, both companies launched the game using their respective 5G MEC platforms and Bridge Alliance’s 5G MEC Hub.

SK Telecom continues to lead the 5G MEC developments within the mobile businesses alliance due to its edge cloud expertise. For instance, SK Telecom partnered with Amazon Web Services last year to launch 5G cloud services in South Korea. Additionally, in 2021, the Korean telecommunications firm will collaborate with AIS and Optus to create a 5G-service upload and download function for the 5G MEC Hub.

“We are glad that we could contribute our experience and technologies to interconnecting global operators’ MEC,” said Lee Dong-Kee, Head of SKT’s 5GX MEC Product. “Going forward, we expect to interconnect Bridge Alliance Members’ MEC platforms and develop innovative 5G services in a collaborative manner.”