This week, SoftBank announced the acquisition of UK-based AI chipmaker Graphcore, valued around $600 million. Known for its intelligence processing units, Graphcore’s technology competes with Nvidia’s but has faced commercialization challenges. SoftBank aims to rejuvenate Graphcore, leveraging the rising demand for advanced AI compute power.
Korean carrier SK Telecom and Singaporean firm Singtel signed an MoU to develop next-gen telecom networks, focusing on AI and network virtualization. The collaboration aims to create foundational technologies for 6G systems, improve edge-AI infrastructure, and enhance 5G capabilities.
South Korean telecommunications giant SK Telecom announced a $10 million investment in the U.S.-based generative AI search engine startup, Perplexity. The partnership aims to enhance Perplexity’s AI-powered search platform, positioning it as a potential competitor to Google in the search engine market.
South Korean telecommunications giant SK Telecom has secured approval from the International Telecommunication Union’s Telecommunication Standardization Sector (ITU-T) for its proposal to standardize technology for AI data centers. This development marks a significant step forward in establishing international norms for AI-related technologies in data centers.
NEC launches “NEC cotomi Pro” and “NEC cotomi Light,” advanced gen AI models. Lumos will be acquired by a joint venture of EQT and T-Mobile to expand high-speed internet access. CEA-Leti leads EU projects 6G-DISAC and 6G-GOALS, revolutionizing 6G technology through smart networks. Sanas obtained a patent for its Real-Time Accent Conversion AI Technology, enabling call center agents to adapt accents and reduce background noise. GlobalData’s report highlights how startups are innovating in AI-driven medical diagnostics, IT management, and financial operations.
President Yoon Suk Yeol recently detailed South Korea’s aggressive moves to establish its supremacy in the global semiconductor sector, including a staggering $6.94 billion commitment to AI by 2027. Amid fierce competition, South Korea’s largest telecom firm, SK Telecom, is paralleling governmental efforts with its own investment in AI firms.
Amid the AI giants like Google and Microsoft, stands Amazon with its prolific investment of $2.75 billion in San Francisco’s AI startup, Anthropic. This strategic venture is Amazon’s biggest external contribution since its establishment. In return, Anthropic pledges to use Amazon Web Services as its chief cloud solution, employing AWS’s state-of-art infrastructure for their AI models. With $7.3 billion funding recently, Anthropic is galvanizing investors globally.
The dynamic partnership of SKT, Deutsche Telekom, e&, Singtel, and now Softbank under the Global Telco AI Alliance aims to redefine telecommunication operations. Their focus? Engineering AI interfaces equipped with telecom-specific language models to enhance customer experiences and devise novel business strategies.
Epsilon Telecommunications (Epsilon), a KT Corp. company and leading global interconnectivity provider, has appointed Damon (Young Seok) Lee as its Group Chief Executive Officer. Lee joins Epsilon with over 27 years of experience in the telecommunications and technology sectors, most recently serving as Vice President in KT’s Enterprise Business. He will lead Epsilon’s senior executive team with a focus on optimising the company’s business strategy and global growth.
Stage X won South Korea’s fourth mobile operator spot with a $322 million bid for 5G spectrum. Yellow.ai and Infobip have partnered to enhance global customer support through AI-driven voice automation and conversational experiences.
Breezeline invests in a 525-mile fiber network to boost internet for 45,000 homes and businesses in New Hampshire. DARPA, in partnership with Nokia’s Bell Labs and others, aims to develop a sustainable Moon base with a robust telecom network to support future Mars expeditions.
