Musk’s Starlink service set to launch in South Korea this year

• SEOUL — 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.

Also read: Google to empower 20 AI-powered Indian startups

• 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.