SK Telecom revealed that the number of 5G subscribers has increased significantly, reaching 15.7 million in the fourth quarter of 2023.
SK Telecom’s 5G subscriber numbers increased from 15.1 million in the third quarter of 2023, 14.7 million in the second quarter, 14.1 million in the first quarter, and 13.4 million in the same period of 2022.
The telecom giant also revealed an increase in pay TV subscribers (IPTV + CATV), increasing from 9.515 million in Q3 2023 to 9.464 million in Q2 2023 and 940 in Q1 2023. 9,549,000 in the fourth quarter of 2023, compared to 9,323,000 in the fourth quarter of 2022.
SK Telecom further provided details of its average revenue per user (ARPU), which it said reached 29,562 won in Q4 2023. This was a slight decrease from KRW 29,913 in Q3 2023, KRW 29,920 in Q2 2023, KRW 30,101 in Q1 2023, and KRW 30,495 in Q4 2022.
SK Telecom’s capital investment decreased from 3,035 trillion won in 2022 to 2,742 trillion won in 2023. SK Telecom’s capital investment reached 1,256 trillion won in the 4th quarter of 2023, up from 1,492 trillion won in the 4th quarter of 2022.
The company’s 2023 financial report showed a strong performance, with sales increasing by 1.8% to 17,609 billion won. Operating profit increased by 8.8% to 1,753 billion won, and net profit reached 1,146 billion won.
SK Telecom attributes the growth to increased fixed and mobile revenue from 5G and IPTV subscriber expansion.
This strong performance was supported by balanced growth across three key areas: AI Infrastructure, AI Transformation (AIX), and AI Services. These areas were part of SKT’s AI pyramid strategy introduced in September 2023. The company expects further revenue growth in its AI business by leveraging its strong AI infrastructure and technological capabilities.
Key components such as AI data center, AI enterprise, and AI semiconductor are expected to meet rising market demand and propel SK Telecom’s AI business by significantly expanding sales this year.
SK Telecom also outlined plans to strengthen its personal AI assistant service “A.” by continuously adding attractive features and services, aiming to lead the AI assistant service market.
For 2024, SK Telecom has ambitious goals to achieve concrete results in various AI business areas such as AI data center, AI semiconductor, LLM for carriers, and X Caliber. The company remains optimistic about its prospects and predicts continued growth and innovation in an evolving technology environment.
Baburajan Kijakedas
