KT announced its participation in the '2026 Korea Drone and UAM Expo' at Songdo Convensia, where it will showcase its artificial intelligence (AI)-based traffic management platform and 5G aviation network technology.
The event serves as a platform to introduce the latest technologies and services in the drone and UAM sectors, with this year's theme being 'Drones and UAM: Changing Daily Life and Shaping the Future.' At the expo, KT will participate in a joint booth as part of the K-UAM Team alongside Hyundai Motor, Hyundai Engineering & Construction, Incheon International Airport Corporation, and Korean Air.
UAM, or Urban Air Mobility, refers to a next-generation air transportation system that utilizes three-dimensional aerial corridors in urban areas to transport passengers or cargo. While it is gaining attention as a future transportation mode, its commercialization requires the establishment of an integrated operational system for safe operations, including aircraft, aviation communication networks, traffic management, information distribution, and vertiport operations.
At the exhibition, KT will present its 5G aviation network, UAM traffic management AX platform, UAM traffic management simulation, and UAM data hub. By combining communication, data, and AI, KT aims to propose a safe and efficient operational system even in environments where multiple aircraft are flying simultaneously.
Notably, the AX platform for traffic management developed by KT supports decision-making for air traffic controllers. It analyzes flight path, communication, and operational data collected via the 5G aviation network in real-time to detect anomalies such as deviations from flight paths, abnormal flights, and communication quality degradation. It then provides situational responses, including emergency responses, traffic volume adjustments, and recommendations for standard operating procedures (SOPs), enabling controllers to make quicker and more accurate decisions.
KT will also showcase its 5G aviation network technology, which serves as a critical infrastructure for reliably connecting operational information and communication data between UAM aircraft and traffic management systems during flight. Utilizing network slicing technology, KT ensures stable aviation communication quality during flights and has improved the efficiency of aviation network construction by applying its self-developed SkyPath antenna. The dual-link technology, which combines 5G and satellite communication, maintains stable communication even in environments where ground 5G services are challenging or when aircraft deviate from their flight paths.
Won Man-ho, head of KT's AX Platform Division, stated, "KT aims to establish a safe UAM ecosystem based on AI-driven traffic management platforms and 5G aviation network technology, accelerating the arrival of a future urban air mobility era that the public can experience, starting with public UAM services."
* This article has been translated by AI.
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