KT Unveils AI-Driven 6G Network Strategy at MWC 2026

BARCELONA — KT Corp (NYSE: KT) presented its plans for sixth-generation wireless networks at the Mobile World Congress, outlining an architecture intended to integrate artificial intelligence into network infrastructure, rather than as an application operating on top.

The company stated that it views 6G not primarily as a speed upgrade from 5G, but as a system intended to combine connectivity with automated network management and low latency for advanced AI workloads.

KT organized its technical roadmap around six areas: three-dimensional coverage extending to air and sea, ultra-low-latency links, quantum-resistant security, AI-native network design, autonomous operations, and a transmission method known as semantic communication, which transmits only the essential content of data rather than full data payloads.

To extend coverage beyond ground-based towers, KT plans to integrate satellite services through its KT SAT subsidiary.

The company aims to provide continuous connectivity across maritime and aviation environments, including urban air mobility applications.

Regarding latency, KT intends to build an end-to-end infrastructure that connects user devices directly to AI data centers, using network slicing and photonic links to transmit data as light rather than electrical signals.

For security, KT plans to implement quantum key distribution, homomorphic encryption, and AI-based intrusion detection to address vulnerabilities arising from advances in quantum computing.

Network management, currently performed with human oversight, would transition to an autonomous model using a telecom-specific large language model, the Network Foundation Model, in combination with digital twins and AI agents.

Jong-sik Lee, executive vice president at KT's Network Research Institute, stated that 6G is intended to improve customer experience, innovate cost structures to support sustainable growth, and create new market opportunities.

KT stated that its experience operating a 5G standalone architecture supports the transition to 6G. 

The International Telecommunication Union designated 6G as IMT-2030 in 2023.