SK Telecom reported revenue of KRW 4.3923 trillion in the first quarter of 2026, while operating income reached KRW 537.6 billion and net income stood at KRW 316.4 billion, as the telecom operator accelerated growth in AI infrastructure and recovered momentum in its wireless business.
The company said revenue increased 1.5 percent quarter over quarter, supported by stronger wireless performance and rapid expansion in its AI Data Center (AIDC) business. Operating income crossed KRW 500 billion for the first time since the first quarter of last year, reflecting company-wide productivity improvements and higher operational efficiency.
SK Telecom’s wireless business showed signs of recovery as handset subscriber additions reached approximately 210,000 during the quarter. Mobile service revenue rose 1.7 percent quarter over quarter, supported by customer-focused initiatives aimed at rebuilding trust and strengthening competitiveness.
The telecom operator revamped its membership program to improve customer benefits and usability, while also restructuring mobile rate plans to provide more flexible service options.
Its fixed-line subsidiary SK Broadband posted revenue of KRW 1.1498 trillion and operating income of KRW 116.6 billion, representing year-over-year growth of 3.2 percent and 21.4 percent respectively. Growth was primarily driven by rising high-speed internet subscribers.
AI emerged as a major growth driver for SK Telecom during the quarter. Revenue from the company’s AI Data Center business surged 89.3 percent year over year to KRW 131.4 billion. The company attributed the strong performance to higher utilization at facilities including the Gasan data center in Seoul and increasing demand for GPU-as-a-Service (GPUaaS).
SK Telecom said accelerating AI infrastructure demand from global Big Tech companies is creating new growth opportunities across the full AI data center value chain. The company plans to continue expanding its AI infrastructure footprint and strengthen competitiveness in AI infrastructure services.
The telecom operator is also expanding into the AI Business-to-Business market. SK Telecom said it is the only domestic provider with full-stack AI capabilities spanning infrastructure, AI models, and services. To accelerate enterprise AI growth, the company recently established an integrated enterprise business organization reporting directly to the CEO.
In the AI Business-to-Consumer segment, SK Telecom plans to strengthen synergies between telecommunications and AI services. Its flagship AI assistant service “A.” (A-dot) will be enhanced using a sovereign AI foundation model designed to compete with leading global AI models.
Park Jong-seok, CFO of SK Telecom, said the company expects sustained AI business growth and operational improvements to support earnings recovery in the coming quarters.
BABURAJAN KIZHAKEDATH
