SKT Heralds New Horizon with AI Data Centre Spin-Off
SKT splits AI data centre assets into $2.2B joint venture, signaling Korean telcos are treating AI infra as a standalone capital market play.
- 01SK Telecom is carving its data centre portfolio into a new entity, SK Horizon, backed by KKR and IMM Investment-Stonebridge at a combined $2.2 billion for a 49% stake.
- 02The vehicle targets 318MW of AI compute capacity across ten facilities plus submarine cables.
- 03A parallel subsidiary, SK Hyper, handles power supply and commercial development.
- 04The structure lets SKT retain control while offloading capital burden—a template other asset-heavy carriers will watch closely.
SKT splits AI data centre assets into $2.2B joint venture, signaling Korean telcos are treating AI infra as a standalone capital market play.
SK Telecom is carving its data centre portfolio into a new entity, SK Horizon, backed by KKR and IMM Investment-Stonebridge at a combined $2.2 billion for a 49% stake. The vehicle targets 318MW of AI compute capacity across ten facilities plus submarine cables. A parallel subsidiary, SK Hyper, handles power supply and commercial development. The structure lets SKT retain control while offloading capital burden—a template other asset-heavy carriers will watch closely. Close expected Q1 2027.
Watch: whether rival Asian telcos replicate the carve-out model to fund AI infrastructure without diluting core network equity.
SK Telecom (SKT) unveiled plans to form a new business named SK Horizon out of assets spun-off from its Broadband arm and sell KRW3.1 trillion ($2.2 billion) worth of equity in it to investment partners. The operator revealed the business being separated from SK Broadband would be charged with expanding AI data centre infrastructure in South Korea with a target of reaching 318MW of capacity. Its assets are to comprise eight existing data centres and two under construction, alongside submarine cables. Investment companies KKR and the IMM Investment-Stonebridge consortium are set to buy 29% and 20% stakes in SK Horizon, respectively, for a combined KRW3.1 trillion once the split is complete. SKT is to retain a controlling 51% stake. SKT expects the separation to be finalised in Q1 2027 subject to securing approvals from its shareholders and government entities. The news comes a month after SKT established subsidiary SK Hyper charged with business development related to AI data centres. Its remit includes power supply projects and commercial activity, complementing the infrastructure focus of SK Horizon. Following the spin-off SK Broadband will focus on the company’s fixed-line, media and entertainment businesses. Its CEO Kim Seong-soo is also expected to lead SK Horizon. The post SKT heralds new horizon with AI data centre spin-off appeared first on Mobile World Live .
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