South Korea also wants to build "Starlink"
According to Yonhap News Agency's report on May 23, South Korea's Ministry of Science, Technology, Information and Communications stated on the 23rd that the ministry's project to develop a low-Earth orbit satellite communication system has passed a preliminary feasibility study and will be officially launched next year.
The roughly $230 million low-Earth orbit project - also known as South Korea's "Starlink" plan - aims to launch two satellites based on sixth-generation communications network technology by 2030, according to the Ministry of Science, Technology, Information and Communications Technology. of low-orbit satellites.
The Ministry of Science, Technology, Information and Communications also plans to establish a low-orbit satellite communication system demonstration network to support Korean companies in independently developing core technologies such as satellite tracking, switching and connection for the system, and to help them expand global business.
The Ministry of Science, Technology, Information and Communications said that since the project has passed the government's preliminary feasibility study, the ministry can allocate budget and launch the project starting next year.
Compared with geostationary satellites, low-orbit satellites operating at an altitude of 300 kilometers to 1,500 kilometers can provide high-speed communications with short delays because they are closer to the earth.
Many global technology companies, including SpaceX and Amazon.com, have launched low-orbit satellite services in hopes of gaining early dominance in this highly advanced market.
For example, SpaceX’s Starlink program uses a fleet of low-orbit satellites to create a global broadband network.
The Ministry of Science, Technology, Information and Communications believes that after the completion of 6G standardization in 2029, the 6G-based low-orbit satellite communications market will begin to flourish in the 2030s, so the ministry urges Korean companies to prepare to enter this market.