SK Telecom (NYSE: SKM) today announced that its successful deployment of world-first 5G connected car, ‘T5,’ in collaboration with Ericsson and BMW Korea Group has been recognized as the 'Most Innovative Partnership Strategy' at Telecom Asia Awards 2017 held in Kuala Lumpur, Malaysia on May 3.

Telecom Asia Awards is the region’s longest-running and most prestigious telecom industry awards by Telecom Asia, a prominent industry media, to reward innovative and outstanding performance by telecom service providers. 'Most Innovative Partnership Strategy' is a category that recognizes the operator with the most innovative approach to forging win-win partnerships with players that add value to their customers or impact the bottom line.

SK Telecom’s T5, being the only 5G-related project credited among other winners, was acclaimed by judges for its cooperative efforts in building a new ICT ecosystem through 5G technologies with various partners.

In cooperation with Ericsson and BMW Korea Group, SK Telecom successfully deployed the world largest mmWave 5G trial network at BMW Driving Center in Yeongjong Island, Korea, and successfully demonstrated the world’s first 5G-based connected car in November 2016.

“The award once again solidifies SK Telecom’s network leadership in the global telecommunications field,” said Park Jin-hyo, Senior Vice President and Head of Network Technology R&D Center at SK Telecom. “As a global leading mobile telecommunication service provider, SK Telecom will continue to develop innovative network technologies and services to establish a thriving 5G ecosystem and prepare for its commercialization jointly with Asia and global partners.”

About SK Telecom

Established in 1984, SK Telecom is the largest mobile operator in Korea by both revenue and number of subscribers. As of March 2017, the company holds around 50 percent of the market, with 29.83 million mobile subscribers including 21.65 million LTE subscribers. It has reached KRW 17.092 trillion in revenue in 2016.

SK Telecom has led the advancement of mobile technologies ranging from 2G to 4G, and is currently setting important milestones in its journey to 5G. The company is not only leading innovation in the field of mobile network, but also providing IoT, media, home and platform services.