SK telecom Partners with Joby to Kickstart UAM Commercialization in Korea
Urban Air Mobility
Ha Min-yong, CDO of SK telecom (left), and Eric Allison, vice president of Joby (right), take a picture after signing an agreement at SK T-Tower on Sept. 20.
SK telecom is joining forces with global urban air mobility (UAM) aircraft manufacturer Joby Aviation to commercialize UAM in South Korea.
On Sept. 20, at the SK T-Tower, SK telecom revealed that it has signed a cooperation agreement with Joby for the Korean Urban Air Mobility Pilot Project (K-UAM Grand Challenge) and for commercialization purposes.
UAM is an electric vertical take-off and landing (eVTOL) based mobility service. Linked with ground transportation, it operates at altitudes of up to 300 meters in urban airspace. It is expected to relieve traffic congestion and reduce carbon emissions significantly.
Both companies have agreed to invest their technological, infrastructural, and personnel capabilities in the UAM pilot project to validate safe flight operations optimized for local conditions.
Next year, in the first phase of the pilot project taking place at the Goheung National Comprehensive Flight Performance Testing Center, they plan to utilize the Joby S4 aircraft for various flight scenario validations including integrated normal operations, noise measurements, emergency response capabilities, and collision management. Notably, the 4G/5G-based UAM specialized airborne network developed by SK telecom will be used to test communication quality at altitudes of 300-600 m. For this, Joby will dispatch its technical personnel to Korea.
To commercialize UAM domestically, aircraft certifications from global agencies like the U.S. Federal Aviation Administration (FAA) or the European Union Aviation Safety Agency (EASA) are essential. Joby is progressing rapidly, having completed over 70% of the FAA aircraft certification plan, and revealed its production-ready aircraft last June.
Last June, SK telecom made a strategic investment of US$100 million in Joby, securing exclusive rights to use Joby’s aircraft in the Korean market. With this agreement, they plan to bring Joby’s aircraft to Korea next year.
Notably, SK telecom plans to link its future UAM with its “AI Company” vision, serving as a conduit to achieve a transition to AI in the mobility sector (AIX). While initial commercial operations will begin with piloted flights, integrating AI into the UAM ecosystem is necessary for personalized services connected with ground transport and enabling autonomous drone flights.
Jasmine Choi
pr@businesskorea.co.kr
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