Aju Business Daily

SEOUL -- KT, South Korea's largest telecom company, will launch a 5G network-based autonomous shuttle service for controlled environments such as theme parks and industrial complexes.

KT said in a statement Thursday that the company has partnered with Unmanned Solution, a Seoul-based self-driving vehicle technology company, to launch a 5G network-based autonomous shuttle service this year.

"KT plans to lead the commercial self-driving service in earnest by combining full autonomous technology and a remote control system based on the 5G network," KT's Connected Car Biz Center head Choi Kang-rim was quoted as saying. He said KT will vitalize South Korea's autonomous driving environment by cooperating with startups.

Unmanned Solution showcased WITH:US, a driverless all-wheel-drive minivan, at a motor show in Seoul in March. WITH:US, installed with a "5G remote cockpit", will communicate with its 5G-based control tower using KT's technology. KT said the minivan would provide a safe driverless shuttle service in a variety of controlled environments like factories and theme parks.

KT will develop new business models such as full indoor autonomous mobility services for children, old people and patients. Automated mobility robots (AMRs), which will carry heavy loads around warehouses and factories, will be introduced this year, it said.

Self-driving shuttles have been used in cities and theme parks. Navya, a France-based autonomous shuttle company, operates autonomous shuttle services in Las Vegas, Perth and Sydney.