SK Telecom to Build Autonomous Driving Infrastructure
SK Telecom and Incheon Free Economic Zone (IFEZ) Authority will make the entire IFEZ, which is 45 times larger than Yeouido in size, a smart city for 5G autonomous driving.
Park Jin-hyo, director of the ICT Technology Center of SK Telecom, and IFEZ Commissioner Kim Jin-yong agreed on April 29 to cooperate for construction of 5G-based autonomous driving infrastructure and smart city in the IFEZ.
SK Telecom plans to build an high-definition (HD) map in the entire IFEZ, which covers 132.9 square kilometers, starting with the construction of a 5G-based HD map in Songdo International City this year and expanding to Cheongna and Yeongjong. The size of the Incheon Free Economic Zone is 45 times the area of Yeouido.
An HD map provides spatial information at a centimeter level to help autonomous vehicles operate safely. The map includes spatial information required for autonomous driving, such as lane information, road gradients, speed limit, and road surface, and is considered to be the core infrastructure for implementation of level 4 or higher autonomous driving that does not require driver intervention. In addition, it can reflect immediate changes in road situations such as car accidents and potholes in real time through the 5G network.
SK Telecom has developed the “Dynamic Data Platform,” a solution that updates road information in real time through a multi-functional advanced driver assistance system (ADAS) terminal. SK Telecom plans to build 5G infrastructure optimized for autonomous driving by October.
SK Telecom and IFEZ Authority have decided to establish a data hub to manage and analyze the population data of Songdo, Cheongna and Yeongjong. They will also establish “Startup Venture Polis” in Songdo to accommodate startup companies and help them collaborate with other businesses and schools. It will be modeled after Station F in Paris or Factory Berlin in Germany. They plan to introduce 5G-based smart offices and support ICT startups by linking with SK Telecom’s True Innovation program.