SK Telecom to lead AI data center standardization

SK Telecom's head of future R&D Lee Jong-min (second from right) and other team members hold a meeting. (SK Telecom)

SK Telecom said Monday that their proposal for standardizing industry-wide technologies for AI data centers has recently been approved as a new research project by a UN telecom agency.

The ITU-T, a division of the UN-affiliated International Telecommunication Union, is responsible for studying and establishing electrical and telecom standards, with over 900 entities from around 190 member countries joining.

"The ITU-T's endorsement of our new standardization project not only underscores the international community's recognition of the importance of AI DC-related technologies but also affirms our extensive AI R&D capabilities in this field,” said Lee Jong-min, vice president and head of future R&D at SK Telecom. “We aim to finalize the AI DC standard specifications through the collective expertise of SK Group and global partners."

SK Telecom said the demand for international standards for AI data center-related technologies has been on the rise, as the increased workloads not only lead to higher energy consumption but also prompt operational inefficiency across industries.

The company’s new proposal aims to revise ITU-T’s existing SG 11 requirements and protocols.

The proposal is designed to enhance the interconnection and integration of the fundamental technological components that constitute AI data centers, providing a standardized framework that spans various aspects of data center technologies, including signaling methods and usage.

Moreover, the proposal systematically defines and categorizes the setup into three primary modules based on their functions and roles: AI Infrastructure, Management and Resource Allocation. Each module is tailored to specific aspects of data center operations: AI Infrastructure focuses on AI computing, cooling technologies, and security; Management deals with the oversight of AI DC infrastructure; and Resource Allocation is linked to the virtualization, allocation, and authentication of resources.

Now, SK Telecom is set to work with other member companies to further refine and develop detailed measures concerning data types, interconnection architecture and other aspects. Once these standards are discussed and ultimately adopted through future ITU-T meetings, the standardization proposal will be formalized as a global standard.

By Park Se-ra(serap1005@heraldcorp.com)