The Korea Information and Communications Technology Association (TTA) announced on the 3rd that it will become an official member of the AI-RAN Alliance.
AI-RAN refers to the next-generation communication technology that integrates AI (artificial intelligence) technology into RAN (Radio Access Network) to optimize network efficiency and performance. AI-RAN is gaining attention as a key technology for the next-generation 6G (6th generation communication) era and as a critical infrastructure for realizing physical AI, among other applications.
The AI-RAN Alliance is a global consortium that was established last year in Barcelona during the Mobile World Congress (MWC), spearheaded by companies like Samsung Electronics, Nvidia, SoftBank, and Microsoft. Currently, around 110 industry-academic-research organizations worldwide are active members. In Korea, in addition to Samsung Electronics, professional organizations such as ETRI (Electronics and Telecommunications Research Institute), NIA (National Information Society Agency), and the three major telecommunications companies—SK Telecom, KT, and LG Uplus—as well as research and educational institutions like Seoul National University and Yonsei University are participating.
TTA plans to actively participate in the global AI-RAN Alliance and closely collaborate with domestic specialized institutions like ETRI, NIA, and equipment manufacturers like Samsung Electronics to preemptively research and lead the global standardization of core linkage technologies and demonstration plans for the ultra-intelligent and hyper-connected networks required in the 6G era.
As Korea’s only specialized institution for global ICT standardization and testing and certification, TTA aims to leverage the “Digital Transformation” vision to propel Korea into one of the top three AI powerhouse nations. This will be in alignment with the government’s ongoing national AI policy direction, focusing on advancing 6G-AI network sophistication and innovation in convergence service quality demonstration.
TTA’s Chairman, Seung-Hyun Son, stated that AI-RAN will grow beyond maximizing the capabilities of 5G networks to become the core foundation of future 6G networks. “TTA will actively participate in the AI-RAN Alliance to strengthen its unique role in developing 6G-AI network standard strategies and demonstrating AI innovation service quality in sectors such as public services, defense, and transportation,” he added.