SKT to launch in-house metaverse platform in 80 countries

Participants appear in the form of avatars during a press briefing held at SK Telecom's ifland metaverse platform, Thursday. Courtesy of SK Telecom

By Yi Whan-woo

SK Telecom (SKT) said Thursday it will launch its nascent platform for “metaverse,” a term for a virtual world where people can live, work and play, in 80 countries by the end of this year.

Its in-house platform, ifland, comes as metaverse is emerging as the top buzzword in the technology world, with companies investing more to create a “favorable business environment” in cyberspace.

Factors supporting their moves include a wider adaptation rate of 5G wireless technology, increased online activity due to social distancing and emergence of tech-savvy young people as target consumers.

SKT launched ifland on July 14 for Android devices and then released an iOS version on Aug. 10.

“The metaverse is expected to evolve fast in coming years, as it became a buzzword unnoticeably,” a company official said during a press briefing held on ifland, Thursday. “To cope with the rapidly changing trend, we push to introduce ifland in around 80 countries within this year.”

Yoo Young-sang, head of its mobile network operator (MNO) business division, claimed ifland will play a role to “turn infinite possibilities dreamed by people into reality.”

With many companies launching their own metaverse platforms, success is expected to depend on drawing as many subscribers as possible, to create interesting themed events that can make everyday users spend more time there as well as offering customized services for businesses, academia and other sectors.

Taking this into account, SKT said avatars and other elements of ifland were created after considering the needs and tastes of potential subscribers.

It also claimed its initiatives toward metaverse-centric business models are on the right track as it's been receiving responses from subscribers, local universities, banks, exhibitors and municipal governments.

It also plans to invite K-pop stars and social media influencers to ifland and help them run regular meeting with their fans. The platform will be equipped with a market system to allow users to buy and sell digital items.