SKT Activates Communications Measures for Fireworks Festival, Uses AI to Predict Locations for Additional Base Stations

[Financial News] SKT is activating special measures to prepare for large crowds and a surge in telecommunications traffic ahead of the Seoul International Fireworks Festival on the 5th.
SKT said on the 2nd that it would expand fixed telecommunications facilities and deploy additional temporary facilities, including mobile base stations and electric-vehicle base stations, in preparation for the Seoul International Fireworks Festival.
The fireworks festival will begin with a pre-event on the 4th and run from 1 p.m. to 11 p.m. on the 5th. The largest crowds are expected during the fireworks show, from 7:40 p.m. to 9:10 p.m.
SKT predicted this year’s event traffic based on measurements taken at last year’s festival. Last year, the number of unique visitors was recorded at 193,000, while the peak number of simultaneous connections during the fireworks show reached 88,000. The company also confirmed a trend of crowds expanding into nearby areas, including Noryangjin Fisheries Wholesale Market, as well as Mapo Bridge’s Mulbit Square.
SKT will apply its self-developed AI operations system, A-One (Access All-in-One), to this response. A-One is a platform that integrates the operation of wireless access networks into a single AI system. It analyzes event information in real time, predicts telecommunications quality and traffic, and automatically determines the number and locations of mobile base stations.
When an event location is designated on a map, the system analyzes the expected number of spectators, the number of SKT subscribers, and the capacity and load rates of existing equipment. It then determines whether network reinforcement is needed and recommends optimal locations for additional facilities. On the day of the event, SKT plans to monitor areas with concentrated traffic in real time and respond to changing conditions.
Bok Jae-won, head of network operations at SKT, said, "We will make thorough preparations so that customers can focus on the festival by using AI-based advance congestion forecasting and telecommunications network management."
[email protected] Yoon Hong-jip Reporter