SK Telecom (SKT) has partnered with Deutsche Telekom to bring the South Korean operator’s Ifland metaverse platform to Europe, with scope for a wider joint venture to expand the service. SKT’s Ifland service was launched in July 2021 as a platform for users to make digital interactions in a virtual environment. The deal will see SKT and Deutsche Telekom perform a live trial of the metaverse platform before the end of 2022, with the goal to co-create virtual content for the European market.

As the metaverse concept has become more mainstream, the question of how operators can best benefit has risen up the agenda. SKT’s Ifland platform offers an example of the opportunity for operators to capture additional value elsewhere in the value chain, particularly in developing platforms, content and services in the metaverse. Leveraging new and existing relationships to create partnerships within the telecoms industry and beyond will be necessary to capitalise on the potential of the metaverse. This is explored further in a recent GSMA Intelligence report.