At the world’s largest mobile communications exhibition, MWC 2026, held in Barcelona, Spain, a global cooperative alliance combining artificial intelligence (AI) and sixth-generation mobile communications (6G) was launched. On March 1 (local time), leading AI semiconductor company NVIDIA, SK Telecom, and other major telecom companies announced a joint declaration to establish an ‘AI-native 6G platform’. The initiative aims to transform communication networks from mere connectors to ‘intelligent infrastructures’ that can operate and make decisions autonomously.
The core of this collaboration is defining 6G not just as faster communication technology, but as ‘thinking communication’. Unlike previous mobile networks, which served merely as data transmission channels, the upcoming 6G will be built with AI as its focal point from the design phase. This development aims to enable the network itself to analyze situations in real-time and take necessary actions autonomously.
Such an innovation becomes a critical foundation for technologies requiring immediate judgment, such as autonomous vehicles and robots. The combination of ultra-fast low-latency networks and AI could usher in an era of ‘physical AI’, where machines independently perceive and make decisions about their surroundings.
SK Telecom is participating as a key partner representing Korea in this alliance and plans to lead discussions on technology standards. SK Telecom CEO Jeong Jae-heon stated, “We are advancing communications infrastructure as the foundation for the AI era and aim to expand the AI ecosystem by developing open and reliable infrastructure with our global partners.” SK Telecom is spearheading the domestic 6G research consortium and promoting the development of intelligent and secure networks.
NVIDIA unveiled a vision to transform communication base stations into ‘small AI data centers’, facilitating nationwide real-time AI services in an ‘AI-RAN’ (Radio Access Network) environment. NVIDIA CEO Jensen Huang remarked, “AI is reshaping the computing industry, and telecommunications will be the next stage,” emphasizing plans to convert global communication networks into AI infrastructure.
Major global telecom operators, including Japan’s SoftBank, the UK’s BT, and Germany’s Deutsche Telekom, are also part of this coalition. As representatives from various countries discuss the direction and technical standards for 6G, significant impacts on future international standard competition are anticipated.
This declaration indicates that the 6G competition is shifting beyond mere speed to ‘intelligence competition’. To connect AI services in smartphones, autonomous vehicles, robots, smart factories, and cities in real-time, the networks themselves must possess intelligence.
Attention is now on how this collaborative group launched in Barcelona will reshape the leadership in next-generation communications. The integration of AI with 6G is anticipated to become a turning point that accelerates changes in industries and daily life.