South Korean telecommunications operator, SK Telecom reported revenue of KRW 4.36 trillion (US$ 3.06 billion) during the second quarter of 2026, led by monumental growth in the firm’s AI data center business.
SK Telecom’s AI data center (AIDC) division is its crown jewel representing the fastest-growing segment of the business. Revenue from AIDCs reached KRW 136.2 billion (US$ 95.7 million) for the quarter, up 92.5 percent year on year, according to a press release.
“In the first half of the year, we focused on strengthening our fundamentals based on stable telecommunications business profitability while laying the foundation for the rapid expansion of our AI data center business,” said Park Jong-seok, CFO of SK Telecom. “Going forward, we will make every effort to play a leading role in enabling Korea to emerge as an AI infrastructure hub in Asia.”
Last month w.media reported that SK Telecom had approved the establishment of SK Hyper, a new subsidiary that will develop the telco’s AIDC business, backed by an investment of KRW 750 billion (US$ 500 million) through 2030. SK Hyper will be responsible for securing land and power capacity for AIDCs as well as attracting global customers to grow its presence in the market.
As part of this earnings release SK Telecom, led by SK Hyper, said it aims to bring AIDCs online in phases starting in 2029, targeting a combined capacity of 5 GW.
“As generative AI adoption spreads across industries and demand for high-performance computing infrastructure surges, timely delivery of AI infrastructure for customers such as global Big Tech companies has never been more critical,” SK Telecom said in its earnings release.
SK Telecom is capitalizing on a surging market, with Mordor Intelligence forecasting that the South Korean AIDC market will be worth US$ 1.89 billion by 2030. This growth is expected to be led by increased public-sector funding, hyperscale cloud expansion, and nationwide 5G adoption.