KT deploys AI-powered network support systems amid workforce restructuring

South Korea's KT Corporation has deployed two AI-powered network support systems, AI Meister and AI Operator, to improve the efficiency and ensure the stability of network operations.

The two systems are expected to help fill the gap left by the 2,800 employees who took voluntary retirement earlier this month as the South Korean telco operator restructures to focus on AI.

The company says AI Meister provides the expertise needed to run the entire network. Using generative AI, the system helps manage the software side of network devices by providing real-time diagnostics and operational guidance. According to KT, AI Meister enables employees with limited knowledge of network management to perform their duties at an "expert level."

AI Meister has been applied to core network equipment in the wired area, and it is planned to expand to all network equipment such as wireless in the future.

On the other hand, AI Operator helps with the physical management of network equipment. According to KT, the system combines the functions of the Mobile Operations Support System (MOSS) and the Network Mobile Office (NeMO), and it is designed for field workers who manage network equipment at customer touch points.

Based on feedback from field workers, KT plans to improve the system in the future by adding a speech-to-text feature that would allow voice-based input to replace manual data entry.

Related:KT to embark on major restructuring with up to 6,000 jobs at stake – reports

KT aims to further integrate AI into its network management system to optimize network operations in the future.

"We plan to evolve our network operation system in the form of AI that monitors network traffic and abnormal patterns to detect signs of failure, infer root cause analysis, and automatically apply action plans," said KT CEO Kim Young-seop in a statement.

Terabit backbone network speeds achieved in trials

In another development, KT claimed to be the first operator in the country to achieve terabit transmission speed in pilot tests on its backbone network connecting Seoul, Busan and Cheonan.

The company confirmed on Monday that data transmission was stable at a speed of 1.2 Tbit/s on the long-distance section (530km) between Seoul and Busan, and 1.6 Tbit/s on the medium-distance section (110km) between Seoul and Cheonan.

(Source: KT Corporation)

For the trials, KT used advanced technologies that support high-capacity transmission, such as coherent technology and the flex-grid wavelength transmission method.

By the first half of 2025, KT aims to achieve a similar transmission speed on the medium- and long-haul sections of its commercial infrastructure. Once the backbone has been upgraded, the company expects the data transmission speed between data centers in the metropolitan area to increase by approximately 2.6 times and the nationwide backbone network to approximately double.

"We plan to continue investing in network development to preemptively respond to the increasing demand for high-capacity traffic in line with the AI era," said Kwon Hye-jin, senior vice president of KT's Network Strategy Division, in a statement.