KT Cloud is refining its business strategy to supply Artificial Intelligence Data Centers (AIDC) tailored to customer preferences in terms of location and timing. The company aims to establish over 20 sites by 2031, providing more than 1GW of AIDC infrastructure in both metropolitan and non-metropolitan areas.
On September 15, KT Cloud held the 'KT Cloud Summit 2026' at the Grand InterContinental Seoul Parnas, where it unveiled its cloud and AIDC strategies to corporate and public sector clients and partners.
Public Cloud Head Gong Bon-joon presented a strategy to connect multi and hybrid cloud environments into a single operating system centered around the KT Cloud platform. KT Cloud plans to integrate its public cloud with Microsoft Azure, private clouds, and on-premises environments, allowing customers to manage these diverse settings as a unified cloud. The integration will encompass account and permission management, portals, monitoring, and cost visibility, with a goal to complete a 'single cloud experience' by early 2027.
Gong explained the difference between hybrid and composite clouds, noting that the latter involves selecting and combining resources based on operational needs rather than merely connecting them. In the AI era, it is becoming common to combine different computing resources and models according to specific work characteristics.
The concept of Composite AI takes this further, focusing on connecting data, computing resources like GPUs and NPUs, AI models, applications, and agents into a single execution system. Gong stated, "AI services are evolving to be composed of multiple models, data, and computing resources rather than relying on a single model."
AIDC to Supply Over 1GW of Infrastructure by 2031
In its AIDC business, KT Cloud is adopting a strategy that varies site locations and scales according to customer demand while increasing supply capacity. DC Head Choi Ok-jin revealed a roadmap to provide over 1GW of AIDC infrastructure across more than 20 sites by 2031.
Choi emphasized, "The competitiveness of AIDC lies in supplying the necessary scale at the desired location and time for customers," stating that rather than concentrating on a single large data center, the company will build 1GW of infrastructure optimized for the characteristics of metropolitan and non-metropolitan areas, customer requirements, and AI workloads.
In the metropolitan area, KT Cloud will expand clusters based on existing data centers. Yeouido will cater to the ultra-low latency demands of the financial sector, while Mokdong will enhance services for corporate clients. The Bucheon and Cheongna areas will be developed as hubs for large-scale AI capacity needed by domestic and international big tech companies, while Ansan and Yongin will focus on high-density GPU AIDC facilities.
In non-metropolitan areas, AIDC development will align with regional characteristics. The Gyeongsang region, centered around Busan, will strengthen connections with global networks, while areas with excellent power and scalability will see AIDC built in forms preferred by neo-cloud providers.
KT Group Accelerates Infrastructure Linking Networks and AIDC to Support Customers
At the group level, KT is accelerating the construction of infrastructure that connects AIDC with networks. The company plans to integrate submarine cables, terrestrial networks, domestic ultra-low latency backbone networks, AIDC, and AI edges in industrial settings to operate a distributed AI infrastructure as a cohesive ecosystem.
As AIDC becomes distributed across various regions, synchronizing data between GPUs in data centers and facilitating large-scale data transfers will be crucial. Therefore, KT will establish dedicated ultra-high bandwidth and ultra-low latency connections for AIDC. The terrestrial networks connected to submarine cables will diversify beyond Busan to include Jeju, and the AI edges connecting domestic AI data centers with industrial sites will also expand.
Through this approach, KT aims to provide a unified offering of AI data centers, connecting infrastructure, and AI services in industrial settings to corporate clients. KT Enterprise Service Head Jeong Myung-jun emphasized, "The KT Group's ability to provide an end-to-end solution by integrating submarine cables, terrestrial networks, domestic connections, AIDC, and AI edges is a distinctive capability."
In his welcoming remarks, KT Cloud CEO Kim Bong-kyun stated that under KT's vision as an 'AX Platform Company,' KT Cloud will be responsible for the core infrastructure necessary for implementing AX, including cloud and AIDC.
Kim noted, "The KT Cloud Summit is a platform for customers to find AX execution strategies tailored to their needs and connect them to business outcomes. We will combine our accumulated cloud and AIDC technologies and operational experience with the KT Group's core AX infrastructure and partner expertise." He added, "We will support customers from strategy formulation to infrastructure construction, operation, and enhancement, ensuring that AX translates into tangible business results."
* This article has been translated by AI.
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