AINA Borad Members, Source: AINA

The Ministry of Science and ICT (Minister Bang-kyun Baek) held the launch ceremony for the "AI Network Alliance (AINA)" on March 4, 2026, at the Mobile World Congress (MWC 2026) in Barcelona, Spain, aimed at securing leadership in the next-generation intelligent (AI) network industry.

 

Global telecom leaders are recognizing the importance of AI networks as essential infrastructure* for high-quality Physical AI services and are actively pursuing global collaboration to dominate the next-generation 6G mobile communication and AI network ecosystem, including the launch of the "AI-RAN (Intelligent Base Station) Alliance" at MWC 2024.

* Mobile communication base stations perform AI computing functions simultaneously, overcoming the battery limitations of Physical AI and enabling real-time, ultra-precise control.

 

In October 2025, during the APEC summit, a memorandum of understanding (MoU) for 'joint research and demonstration cooperation on AI networks' was signed between South Korea's academia and industry and NVIDIA. Furthermore, the Ministry of Science and ICT announced in its "Hyper AI Network Strategy" unveiled at the end of 2025 a goal of becoming the top country in '6G and AI networks' by 2030, outlining a comprehensive industrial strategy that includes technology development, large-scale demonstration-based demand creation, and market entry support.

 

 

In 2026, the Ministry of Science and ICT will officially commence large-scale demonstration projects for AI networks. To secure global industrial leadership, it is crucial to systematically promote large-scale demonstrations in manufacturing, campuses, and public sectors, proactively discovering 'AI + communication' convergence services, and vigorously targeting global markets through collaboration among public and private sectors, academia, and industry. Thus, AINA has been established as a think tank to organically link the government's AI network industrial policy with the capabilities of academia and industry.

 

The launch ceremony held at MWC 2026 was attended by key figures, including Choi Woo-hyuk, Director of Information Security and Network Policy at the Ministry of Science and ICT, and Seo Chang-seok, Chairman of AINA (KT), along with representatives from global companies such as NVIDIA, Microsoft, Qualcomm, and Vodafone, where the main roles and vision of AINA were introduced.

 

AINA aims to achieve a market share of 20% in the next-generation mobile communication sector (currently at 5%), aligned with the evolution of network generations, including the completion of 6G standards by 2028 and commercialization by 2030. To this end, it will present a technology development roadmap based on industrial demand, closely connect with the AI network ecosystem, and lead collaboration with global companies and organizations for market entry.

 

AINA comprises over 30 member organizations, including government agencies, research institutes, and telecom companies (KT (Chairman), SKT, LG U+), equipment manufacturers (Samsung Electronics, LG Electronics, Ericsson, Nokia, and domestic SMEs), and AI companies (Amazon Web Services). The participation of both domestic and global companies is expected to facilitate the exploration of business models and entry into promising markets that domestic SMEs and mid-sized enterprises find challenging on their own.

 

During the event, MoUs for cooperation between AINA and major AI network entities and research institutes, including the AI-RAN Alliance and the Singapore University of Technology and Design (SUTD), were also signed. Following this, a ceremony was held to celebrate the export achievements* of domestic network companies through the Ministry's demonstration projects and to reaffirm collaboration in the future AI network market.

* △ LG Electronics, Samji Electronics, Wave Electronics: Expected to export over 10 billion KRW in Open RAN to the U.S. △ LIG Acubear: Approximately 20 billion KRW in exports of 5G small cell to the U.S. and Japan.

 

Additionally, as part of the MWC AINA launch ceremony, active discussions were held regarding the implementation of the AI-RAN cooperation MoU between the Korean team and NVIDIA at the APEC summit in October 2025. In a meeting chaired by Choi Woo-hyuk, the chief representative from the Ministry of Science and ICT, discussions were held with NVIDIA's Ronnie Vasishta and the Korean team, including Samsung Electronics, on the evolution trends of AI networks and future industrial cooperation plans, aiming to produce visible results within the first half of the year after thorough review.

 

In line with this cooperation in the private sector, the Ministry of Science and ICT has planned support amounting to approximately 128.7 billion KRW (around 89 million USD) from 2026 for AI-RAN technology development and industrial nurturing to secure global leadership in the AI-RAN industry. Furthermore, from 2027, it will plan comprehensive competitiveness enhancement projects, including 'AI-on-RAN*,' in collaboration with academia and industry.

* A core technology that enables the efficient provision of various AI services by integrating AI computing functions into base station infrastructure.

 

Choi Woo-hyuk, Director of Information Security and Network Policy at the Ministry of Science and ICT, stated in his speech, "We will establish 2026 as the 'Year of Great Leap for South Korea's AI Network,' initiating technology development and large-scale demonstrations, and operating the '6G-AI Network Industry Strategy Committee' to provide comprehensive support." He expressed hope that AINA would play a pivotal role in creating an AI network industry ecosystem and entering the global market as a focal point for collaboration among public and private sectors, academia, and industry.