[Edaily Reporter Yun Junghoon ]SKTelecom(017670)posted an operating profit of over 500 billion won in the third quarter of this year, returning to its typical performance levels. The company is drawing market attention not only because its core wired and wireless telecommunications business has shown steady growth—with net subscriber gains from number portability for three consecutive months—but also due to the tangible progress in its AI data center (AI DC) business following the launch of SK Hyper and SK Horizon, as well as the momentum from the listing of Anthropic.

SKT announced on the 4th that, on a consolidated basis, it posted revenue of 4.4973 trillion won, operating profit of 552.3 billion won, and net income of 411.8 billion won for the third quarter of 2026.

Revenue increased by 13.1% year-over-year and 3.2% quarter-over-quarter, driven by balanced growth in both wired and wireless communications businesses. Operating profit surged by 1,040.3% compared to the same period last year (48.4 billion won). The company is assessed to have entered a clear turnaround phase, having maintained operating profits in the 500 billion won range for three consecutive quarters.

The base effect played a major role in the operating profit surging more than tenfold compared to the same period last year. While the third quarter of last year saw a concentrated impact from fee discounts and customer compensation costs resulting from a hacking incident, this year these one-time negative factors have completely disappeared. Additionally, with marketing expenses (approximately 734.5 billion won) managed steadily, the company’s profit resilience has recovered significantly.

The core wireless business led the rebound, driven by efficient marketing focused on customer lifetime value (LTV) and the restoration of service reliability. In fact, SKT’s net subscriber growth from number portability continued for three consecutive months: July (+3,887), August (+1,386), and September (+2,566). Revenue from the fixed-line telecommunications business also grew by 7.4% year-over-year, driven by an expansion in ultra-high-speed internet subscribers.

The AI data center business has also officially launched. Led by the specialized subsidiaries “SK Hyper” and “SK Horizon”—which were established in July and August, respectively—SKT has completed a framework for advancing its AI data center business, including GW (gigawatt)-scale mega-projects.

SKT oversees strategy and global partnerships, while SK Hyper focuses on site development and customer acquisition centered on Ulsan, and SK Horizon is responsible for building 180 MW of infrastructure in the Seoul and Ulsan regions and expanding undersea cables. The value of SKT’s stake in Anthropic (estimated at less than 1%) is also expected to emerge as a key factor in securing funding and revaluing the company’s market capitalization should it pursue a global IPO.

At the same time, efforts to build the “AI for All” service ecosystem—which integrates proprietary AI foundation models into in-house platforms such as A.dot—are gaining momentum. The third-quarter dividend has been set at 830 won per share, the same as in the first and second quarters.

Park Jong-seok, CFO of SKT, stated, “Based on our two pillars of telecommunications and AI, we were able to achieve both recovery and growth simultaneously,” adding, “We will continue to strive to link our telecommunications and AI businesses into a single growth strategy to amplify synergies.”