LG Uplus said on Wednesday it signed a business agreement with LG Electronics for early research and development of artificial intelligence-based communications technologies for the 6G era and for cooperation on international standardisation.

The companies will use the agreement to strengthen cooperation in key next-generation communications technologies such as semantic communications and post-quantum cryptography (PQC). They aim to build a foundation for technology leadership by combining network operations experience with device and platform capabilities.

Semantic communications is a technology that uses AI to improve transmission efficiency by focusing on the meaning and context of information rather than the amount of information itself. It can deliver needed information accurately while reducing data transmission volumes, drawing attention as a foundational technology needed to implement ultra-low latency and ultra-high efficiency communications in the 6G era.

LG Uplus will derive requirements for semantic communications and review practical network applicability and use scenarios. It will identify security requirements and standardisation issues needed from a telecom operator's perspective, and discuss with LG Electronics how to respond to international standardisation meetings such as 3GPP. In the PQC field, the companies will also review related technology trends and standard proposals together and seek application strategies at the device and system levels.

The company said the cooperation is an example of the LG Group's technology leadership spanning communications and devices expanding into early-stage technology areas for the 6G era. The companies plan to jointly hold an annual regular technology exchange meeting and continue to further specify cooperation across AI-based 6G communications technologies.

Lee Sang-yeop (이상엽), chief technology officer at LG Uplus, said, "In the 6G era, the combination of AI and communications will be a key factor that determines technological competitiveness." He said, "Through cooperation with LG Electronics, we will strengthen together R&D and capabilities to respond to international standardisation for key future AI-based communications technologies such as semantic communications and PQC."