SK Telecom said on March 15 it has prepared special communications measures using an AI-based network operations system ahead of a large K-pop concert to be held on March 21 in the Gwanghwamun area of Seoul.

The concert will take place around Gwanghwamun and Seoul City Hall. A crowd of up to more than 260,000 people is expected, including 22,000 ticket holders, based on police estimates. With major roads set to be closed to vehicles, spectators are expected to concentrate in a narrow area, raising the likelihood of a surge in communications traffic.

SKT will activate its AI-based network operations system, A-One (Access All-in-One), for the first time. The system designs an optimized communications environment ahead of an event through functions including recommending locations for new equipment based on coverage analysis, forecasting traffic using past event data, and monitoring network quality through an AI agent-based system.

On the day of the concert, SKT will use A-One to monitor on-site traffic changes in real time and respond immediately if abnormalities occur, such as a rise in connected users or a deterioration in quality.

The area around the venue will be managed by dividing it into 3 zones based on crowd density and usage patterns. SKT designed customized networks by splitting the Gwanghwamun and Seoul City Hall area into 3 zones based on crowd density and usage characteristics. The zones comprise the interior of the concert venue along Sejong-daero, an eight-lane road between Gwanghwamun and Seoul City Hall, the exterior of the venue where ticket booths and merchandise sales areas are located, and outer roads where crowd movement and congestion are expected, with specialized networks operated for each zone.

SKT will expand network capacity from Gwanghwamun to Seoul City Hall by increasing mobile base stations and temporary communications facilities. It will prioritize placing equipment in areas expected to draw concentrated crowds, including around the stage, ticket booths and merchandise sales areas, and has also secured space for temporary installations tailored to on-site conditions.

It will also install additional temporary facilities in areas with heavy roaming use and carry out optimization work on existing base stations to strengthen support for foreign customers. SKT will also carry out network optimization work in consideration of the possibility that communications use could concentrate briefly due to factors such as trains passing through subway stations without stopping.

Hong Seon-gi (홍선기), head of SKT's Seoul metropolitan network operations, said, "As this large K-pop concert is an event that draws attention from around the world, it is an opportunity to demonstrate AI-based network competitiveness." He added, "We will prepare to provide stable communications services through an autonomous network even in an ultra-high-density traffic environment."