In the telecom industry, standards are far more than technical specifications—they are the foundation of interoperability, scalability, and innovation. They serve as strategic enablers of global connectivity, operational efficiency, and future-ready network evolution. One organization at the forefront of industry standards is the Telecommunications Technology Association (TTA).

Jongwon Park, Team Manager, leads standardization, testing, and certification initiatives at TTA, with a focus on emerging technologies such as AI-driven networks and 6G. His work bridges the gap between innovation and implementation, ensuring that new technologies meet rigorous performance and interoperability benchmarks. Park shared insights on TTA as a new member of the AI-RAN Alliance.

Headquartered in Korea, TTA is the nation’s designated ICT standards body and an internationally accredited testing and certification institute. With deep expertise across 5G, 6G, AI, cybersecurity, and IoT, TTA develops ICT standards and provides accredited testing services aligned with both domestic and global requirements. “Our work ensures that cutting-edge technologies are not only innovative but also interoperable, secure, and reliable,” said Park.

Recognizing AI as a cornerstone of future communication systems, especially 6G, TTA is committed to shaping the intelligent networks of tomorrow. When asked why TTA made the move to join the AI-RAN Alliance, Park replied, “Membership in the AI-RAN Alliance will enable TTA to collaborate on global standardization, strengthen our testing and verification infrastructure, and support Korea’s national ‘AI Network Strategy’ which emphasizes AI-RAN as a foundation for nation-scale innovation.”

TTA believes AI will fundamentally transform RAN operations by:

• Enhancing spectral and energy efficiency
• Reducing operational costs
• Enabling real-time network optimization
• Unlocking new services and applications for a truly intelligent 6G experience

“TTA builds and operates large-scale testbeds such as 5G-Advanced (5G-A), O-RAN OTIC, KOREN, and HPC facilities, which provide essential infrastructure for AI-RAN experimentation and validation,” noted Park. These platforms can contribute to the Alliance’s mission of embedding AI across the RAN, driving smarter, more adaptive, and efficient networks.

Opportunities Ahead

Over the next five years, TTA sees transformative potential in:

• AI-powered automation of network operations
• Integration of generative AI into RAN-based services
• Establishing benchmarks for AI performance and trustworthiness

These opportunities will accelerate 6G development and empower verticals like healthcare, smart manufacturing, and public safety.

Focus Areas Within the Alliance

TTA is particularly engaged in:

• WG1 (AI-for-RAN): Verifying AI-driven optimization of network performance through AI
• WG3 (AI-on-RAN): Exploring QoE-based evaluation and generative AI use cases
• Test Methodology flagship initiative: Ensuring scalable validation and certification of AI-RAN technologies as a leading test and certification authority

TTA’s commitment to rigorous standards and forward-looking innovation aligns it as a vital contributor to the AI-RAN Alliance and the global telecom ecosystem. Its work ensures that the networks of the future are not only intelligent—but trusted, interoperable, and ready to scale.

The AI-RAN Alliance is advancing a shared vision for AI-native telecom networks. To explore how your organization can join this effort, visit our membership page.