KT (030200.KS) is accelerating the commercialization of remote driving technology in partnership with Kia (000270.KS) and SUM. The goal is to develop remote driving technology, which had remained at the demonstration stage, into an actual service within the year.
KT said on the 23rd that it signed a "memorandum of understanding (MOU) to promote the commercialization of remote driving technology" with Kia and autonomous driving technology company SUM at Kia's headquarters in Yangjae-dong, Seoul. The three companies plan to establish a stable operating system and specify a business model, targeting the launch of a remote driving service within the year.
In particular, KT will handle the operation of the communications network, the core foundation of the remote driving service. This is because a stable data transmission environment is essential for vehicles and remote control centers to exchange video and control information in real time. KT will inspect the communication quality of vehicle operating sections in advance, and during actual service operation, it will build a network quality management and fault response system. Kia will handle vehicle and mobility technology, while SUM will handle remote driving and vehicle control technology, raising the completeness of the remote driving service.
In addition, the three companies will cooperate in areas including operational data analysis and technology advancement, joint exhibition and demonstration at major domestic and international shows, discovery of service models in the private and public sectors, and establishment of a related legal and institutional framework. In the public sector, they plan to work with local governments and others to develop remote driving services that can be applied to transportation-vulnerable areas or regions requiring support for living social overhead capital (SOC).
This agreement is a follow-up measure to expand remote driving technology beyond the demonstration stage into an actual service. Earlier, the three companies conducted remote driving demonstrations on general roads in Jeju Island together with related ministries including the Ministry of Land, Infrastructure and Transport and the National Police Agency, verifying the technology's stability and service applicability.
Going forward, the three companies will form a working-level consultative body and gradually specify project regions, service schedules, communication quality assurance measures, and technology advancement plans. "For a remote driving service to operate stably in the field, communication infrastructure that seamlessly connects vehicles and control centers is essential," said Seo Sang-gyu, senior vice president in charge of Enterprise Business 1 at KT Enterprise's Corporate Business Division. "Based on our 5G and LTE network operation capabilities, KT will enhance the stability and reliability of remote driving services and create a new standard for future mobility services."
