SK Telecom presented a vision for the future of UAM services to be commercialized by 2030 at the '2022 Busan International Motor Show'.

SKT announced that it participated in the '2022 Busan International Motor Show' as the only operator pursuing domestic UAM commercialization, showcasing a virtual ride experience of UAM in 2030 to visitors.

UAM (Urban Air Mobility) refers to the entire transportation system based on electric-powered eVTOL (Electric Vertical Take-off and Landing) aircraft. It is attracting attention as a next-generation mode of transportation due to features such as the ability to take off and land vertically without a runway, low noise, stable flight, and the ability to connect with various ground transportation methods.

SKT said that at the Busan International Motor Show, where major automakers such as Hyundai Motor were competing fiercely for electric vehicles, it introduced its UAM business goals and showcased a virtual ride experience of an air taxi by 2030, captivating the eyes and ears of visitors.
SKT has organized content, including a UAM ride experience, to allow visitors to see the direction of SKT's mobility innovation, which integrates advanced mobile communication, autonomous driving, and artificial intelligence technologies.

After waiting in line, visitors can board a robotic arm simulator and put on a VR device to have a virtual experience of arriving at Dongbaek Island from Busan Station in 2030 in just 10 minutes. Behind it, the image of Busan in 2030 unfolds on a large LED screen surrounding the 400㎡ SKT exhibition hall.

Lee Seok-geon, Team Leader of the UAM Business Promotion Team at SKT, said, “Through the air taxi ride experience, visitors can feel the sensation of actually riding a UAM with immersion, just like riding an amusement park ride.”

■ SKT Consortium Aims to Lead the Skies
SKT is continuously communicating with customers to share its service vision that leads the domestic UAM industry, with the goal of commercializing UAM and becoming an integrated ground and air transportation service provider by 2025.

Many specialized institutions predict that UAM will be commercialized within five years at most and will grow explosively over the next 10 to 20 years.

Last May, SKT submitted a proposal to participate in the Phase 1 demonstration project of the 'Korean Urban Air Mobility Grand Challenge (K-UAM Grand Challenge)' organized by the Ministry of Land, Infrastructure and Transport, together with Korea Airports Corporation, Hanwha Systems, Korea Meteorological Industry & Technology Institute, and Korea Land Information Corporation.

In addition, it announced plans to lead K-UAM by incorporating demonstration experience, including the longest eVTOL flight record, following an exclusive agreement signed last February with Joby Aviation, a UAM aircraft manufacturer headquartered in the United States.

SKT UAM Business Promotion Team Leader Lee Seok-geon said on the 14th, “Jovy’s target for commercialization in the U.S. is 2024, so considering the timing and technological capabilities, we determined that it is important to form a partnership with Joby to commercialize together,” adding, “We can proceed by forming partnerships with other companies with technological capabilities simultaneously, not just Joby.”

He also added, “In the early stages, the most anticipated aspect of UAM is the air shuttle, with us in mind for connecting airports with downtown areas or utilizing it in tourist regions,” and “we expect the partnership with Korea Airports Corporation, which operates 14 airports in Korea, to be effective.”

Meanwhile, the '2022 Busan International Motor Show' opened on the 15th (Fri) under the theme 'Next Mobility, A Celebration'. This event will be held for 10 days until the upcoming 24th (Sun) at all halls of the main exhibition hall and the 1st floor exhibition hall of the new building at BEXCO in Busan.

At this event, concept cars and finished vehicles from Hyundai Motor, Kia, BMW/Mini, etc. were showcased, and over 60,000 visitors were drawn last weekend to side events such as test drives, e-sports experiences, and a beer festival.