SK Telecom (NYSE: SKM, hereinafter referred to as “SKT”) today announced that its innovative power usage reduction project has been recognized as a successful case of greenhouse gas (GHG) emissions reduction by the Korean Government.

Aimed at increasing the efficiency of its network equipment, the project utilizes a technology called Single RAN, which enables integrated operation of SKT’s 3G and LTE network equipment. The company either replaced the outdated 3G and LTE equipment with new equipment applied with Single RAN or upgraded the software of its existing LTE equipment with Single RAN to operate as both 3G and LTE equipment.

By effectively replacing its legacy equipment with Single RAN, SKT earned 1,117 tons of carbon credits in return for the 53% power usage reduction it achieved in 2019, while also effectively improving service quality via increased 3G network capacity and 4G coverage.

This marks the first Environmental, Social, Governance (ESG) case where GHG emissions reduction through the use of telecommunications technology has been certified by the Korean Ministry of Environment (MOE). After a year-long research and development, SKT successfully registered its Single RAN-based emissions reduction methodology to MOE’s Offset Registry System and verified the results in an objective manner to receive carbon credits.

As of October 2020, SKT completed applying Single RAN to all applicable base stations and repeaters installed in 78 cities in Korea including Seoul and thus expects that from 2020 the annual amount of its GHG emissions reduction will increase to 10,000 tons.

“We will continue to fully utilize our advanced ICT to save energy and protect the environment, while setting meaningful examples in the area of ESG management,” said Lee Joon-ho, Vice President Head of ESG Business of SKT.