Increasing numbers of partnerships are forming among South Korean mobile carriers and construction firms to build smart homes featuring artificial intelligence and Internet of Thing technologies.

In the latest move, SK Telecom said Monday the company signed a partnership with Hyundai Development Company and its home network affiliate HDC I-Controls to apply SKT’s AI and IoT technologies to HDC’s flagship I-Park apartments.

Under the agreement, SKT will provide I-Park residents with the company’s smart home services based on AI and IoT technologies, such as light and temperature control, gatekeeping sensor and standby power control.

SKT says it is the first mobile carrier among three here to provide the AI technology for construction firms.

Residents will be able to remotely control home appliances via a smartphone application, but also operate them with voice commands using SKT’s AI service widely known as NUGU.

“Calling up an elevator and checking out parcels will be available by speaking to the NUGU platform,” said an SKT spokesman. “Yet, what kind of form the NUGU platform will take is still under talks.”

HDC plans to apply the SKT technologies to I-Park apartments to be parceled out this year.

SKT began partnering with builders last February as it clinched a deal with Hyundai Engineering and Construction. It has so far signed partnerships with 16 local construction companies and about 60 electronics manufacturers to provide its IoT services. As of February, the company provided IoT services for about 150,000 households.

KT also said last week that it will provide its AI-based set-top box GiGA Gene for Lotte Castle residents in Yeongdo, Busan, which is slated for completion at the end of this year.

KT said it inked a memorandum of understanding with Daelim E&C on Friday to provide KT’s AI services for Acro Seoul Forest to be constructed in Seongsu-dong, northern Seoul, by next May. Furthermore, Daelim plans to apply the KT technologies to its signature e-Pyeonghansesang apartments.

LG Uplus is focusing on expanding its supply of its Home IoT service to new apartments to be built in provincial areas. The company signed a contract with Tong Yang E&C early March to supply its IoT system for less than 1,000 households in Pyeongtaek and Sejong.  
 
By Song Su-hyun (song@heraldcorp.com)