SK TELECOM Co, South Korea’s top wireless carrier, said it has partnered with United States-based Joby Aviation to develop flying cars today, in a move to expand its foothold in urban air mobility (UAM) services, reported Yonhap.

SK Telecom said the two companies signed an agreement to form a regular consultative team to boost cooperation in introducing air taxis in South Korea and create “mobility as a service”, which connects cars, connected car platforms and business-to-customer services.

“Close cooperation with top global players is essential to becoming a leader in future industries, which is driven by UAM, self-driving vehicles and robots,” said CEO Ryu Young-sang.

The partnership is set to speed up the country’s long-term plan to commercialise UAM services by 2025 to help overcome urban traffic congestion by using unmanned drone taxis.

SK Telecom has been ramping up the development of UAM services, collaborating with local firms and agencies to accelerate the development of the services and expand its services into other areas such as tourism and emergency response. – Bernama, February 7, 2022.