New Delhi: US space firm SpaceX’s Starlink satellite internet service is expected to be available in South Korea this year, following a recent revision to the Radio Waves Act, the science ministry said on Sunday. Starlink Korea LLC applied for approval of a cross-border supply agreement from the Ministry of Science and ICT in May 2023 to provide its low Earth orbit (LEO) satellite internet service.
According to the ministry, the government amended related regulations this month concerning Elon Musk-owned Starlink’s use of local frequencies, reports Yonhap news agency. “For the approval, Starlink Korea submitted its business plans, and the Telecommunications Policy Bureau is reviewing their business feasibility,” Kim Nam-cheol, director general of the ministry’s radio policy bureau, said during a recent briefing.
Regarding the specific launch timeline, Kim said the service could begin as early as June or later this year. Starlink’s British rival, OneWeb, is also exploring opportunities to offer its LEO satellite internet service in Asia’s fourth-largest economy, he added.
Starlink provides high-speed, low-latency internet service worldwide through a constellation of low Earth orbit satellites. Under South Korean law, foreign companies must sign a supply agreement with a local telecommunications operator to introduce their communications network services domestically.
If adopted, LEO satellite communication services will enable high-speed internet access in regions with traditionally poor connectivity, as well as on ships and aircraft, where low-speed satellite internet is currently common, the ministry said in a press release.
“In particular, the maritime industry stands to benefit significantly. Crews on long-haul voyages will gain access to over-the-top (OTT) media services and video calls, marking a major improvement in welfare and communication options for seafarers,” it said.
To compete with first movers, South Korea announced plans last year to launch two homegrown LEO satellites using sixth-generation (6G) communications network technology by 2030. LEO satellites, orbiting between 300 and 1,500 kilometers above Earth, can provide high-speed, low-latency communications thanks to their proximity to the planet, compared with geostationary orbit satellites.
On Friday, the government designated the Electronics and Telecommunications Research Institute (ETRI), telecommunications equipment manufacturer SOLiD and Korea Aerospace Industries Co. (KAI), the nation’s sole aircraft maker, as key organizations for developing a domestic 6G-based LEO satellite communications system.
“We are aiming to launch two domestically developed LEO satellites aboard the homegrown space rocket Nuri by 2030,” Kim said. The government plans to invest a total of 320 billion won (US$234 million) over six years through 2030 in the development project, anticipating the global LEO satellite internet service market will grow to 740 trillion won by 2040.