Last weekend, as massive crowds flocked to major cherry blossom festivals in Seoul, SK Telecom responded to the increased demand for communications in the Seokchon Lake and Yeouido areas through its AI-based network monitoring system. The company stated that it maintained services without any communication disruptions, even during peak hours when visitors were concentrated.

SK Telecom announced on the 8th that it provided stable communication services by applying an AI-based core network monitoring system during the Seokchon Lake and Yeouido Cherry Blossom Festival, which ran from the 7th to the 8th. During the event, data traffic increased significantly as more users than usual flocked to major festival areas in downtown Seoul.

According to SKT, mobile data usage in the two regions totaled 44.9TB last weekend, an increase of 1.5 times compared to the previous weekend. The day with the highest traffic was Saturday, the 4th. Seokchon Lake recorded 15.91TB and Yeouido recorded 7.3TB; notably, usage in Yeouido on Sunday, the 5th, was 8.5TB, which was higher than on Saturday.

In terms of user distribution, subscribers aged 50 and older accounted for the highest proportion at 31% as of the 4th and 5th. On the other hand, the data usage rate by age group was highest among those in their 20s at 29%. In other words, there was a discrepancy between the number of visitors to the festival site and the actual data consumption patterns. The gender ratio was similar between men and women, and in terms of traffic by major app, YouTube had the highest volume, followed by Instagram, Naver, and Facebook.

The AI-based integrated monitoring system 'Spider' was utilized for this communications response. Spider is a system that monitors all core network equipment from a single location and automatically analyzes alarms and statistical data generated by the devices. The focus was on integrating the monitoring systems, which were previously fragmented by device, to identify abnormal signs more quickly and improve response efficiency.

SKT explained that it also operated 'A-One,' an AI-based network operation system recently commercialized. The company stated that by linking the two systems, it managed the telecommunications environment by pre-optimizing the network based on expected traffic prior to the event and responding immediately through real-time monitoring during the event. This case demonstrates the scope of application for AI-based network operations during large-scale events where traffic is concentrated in specific regions and time periods.