Technological innovation has no limits and transportation is no exception. Aiming to transport people in dense cities and avoid traffic, South Korean telecom giant SK Telecom plans to launch a flying taxi service in collaboration with US firm Joby Aviation in 2025.
We saw it during the MWC, where it was possible to participate in a Virtual Reality experience to live a little of what awaits us in a few years.
Flying taxis are electric vertical takeoff and landing vehicles and are seen by advocates as a way to revolutionize transportation. This form of transportation is at an early stage, but consultancy Roland Berger forecasts that there will be nearly 160,000 unmanned electric vehicles of this type in use worldwide by 2050, generating annual revenues of nearly $90 billion. .
SK Telecom’s commitment to flying taxis
SK Telecom is looking to expand its business beyond being a traditional mobile operator and has its sights set on new areas such as artificial intelligence and flying taxis. The company expects this new service to be a big revenue driver for the company, but not immediately. For at least the next five to seven years, they have to make sure that the service they are going to offer to society and the community is safe enough.
SK Telecom’s plans
According to Ha Min-yong, development director at SK Telecom, the company’s air taxi service will be commercially available “sometime in mid-2025” before expanding into other areas such as logistics. The South Korean government is making progress in its attempt to commercialize air taxis by 2025. If the service quality is acceptable to the general public and meets safety requirements, the government will allow the operator to expand the service area, including logistics, tourism and medical related services.
The importance of connectivity
Flying taxis will require connecting to 5G networks to operate and fly, eventually autonomously. SK Telecom has experience in the area of 5G networks and has announced that it is looking to expand its business into new areas such as artificial intelligence and flying taxis.
Future perspectives
Flying taxis could be a reality in the near future and SK Telecom wants to make sure it stays ahead of this emerging market. If all goes well, the air taxis could be a huge revenue driver for the company. Once the service is accepted by society and the community, SK Telecom expects air taxis to generate a significant amount of revenue.
It is clear that the collaboration with Joby Aviation is a successful strategy for SK Telecom, but we will have to wait a long time to see if this type of transport will be the solution for the population in the big cities or one more resource for the rich to arrive before the poor. poor.