South Korea's telecommunications industry is moving into education infrastructure, building eco-friendly energy facilities at elementary, middle and high schools as well as university campuses, and providing high-performance network equipment and educational support services to accommodate the spread of artificial intelligence (AI) classes. As digital classes, high-resolution video content and the use of generative AI grow, data traffic inside classrooms is rising rapidly, prompting telecom companies to view education infrastructure as a new growth market, analysts said.
SK Telecom announced Thursday that it will build solar energy infrastructure at Korea University's Seoul campus and unveil an energy model in which the generated electricity is used directly for school operations. The partnership aims to expand the university's eco-friendly energy base and create a sustainable campus. Solar power facilities with a capacity of about 1.8 megawatts will be installed on the rooftops of 20 buildings on the Seoul campus, including the Business Administration Main Hall and the Lyceum. The company plans to carry out an integrated project that includes not only the installation of the generation equipment but also the construction of an operating system.
The project is significant in that it converts unused space on building rooftops within the campus into a hub for eco-friendly energy production, with the electricity generated directly used for school operations. SK Telecom will also build control and monitoring systems to manage power generation, facility status and energy usage. Through this, Korea University will lay the groundwork for implementing carbon neutrality and operating a sustainable campus. The university said, "The project is expected to reduce carbon dioxide emissions by about 1,069 tons annually," adding, "It is also expected to cut electricity costs by about 350 million won per year on average."
SK Broadband is also supporting the digital transformation of schools. The company has developed a network device called the "5Gbps PoE Switch," which supports speeds of 5Gbps — twice as fast as existing equipment. A PoE switch is a device that simultaneously supplies data and power through LAN cables and is used to connect various devices at schools, such as wireless access points (APs) and cameras. The equipment is designed to stably handle the surge in traffic caused by the increase in wireless devices in classrooms, high-resolution video classes, and classes using generative AI. Maintenance functions have also been strengthened so that administrators can respond to failures without visiting classrooms in person.
Building education infrastructure is a trend spreading across the telecom industry. KT recently distributed an installable application version of "AIDU," an AI education practice tool, free of charge. AIDU is an AI practice tool for non-majors who are not familiar with coding. Developed by KT for AI training of office workers, it is currently used as an AI education tool at middle and high schools. LG Uplus joined hands with the Jeju Office of Education last year to pilot "Uplus Super School," an AI-based administrative management service for teachers, as part of its efforts to support public education.
Telecom carriers are focusing on the education sector because schools are evolving beyond simple line suppliers into a comprehensive B2B market that combines AI, cloud and network services. "As AI digital classes and the use of generative AI expand, data traffic in classrooms is rising rapidly," an industry official said. "Demand for upgrading and maintaining campus networks is also growing, making education infrastructure a new growth market for the telecom industry."
