Elon Musk’s SpaceX set for tie-up with KT SAT for Starlink service in Korea

 

SpaceX, the rocket and spacecraft manufacturer founded by Tesla Inc. Chief Executive Elon Musk, will likely join forces with KT Corp. to launch its low-earth orbit satellite communication service Starlink in South Korea.

KT SAT, the Korean telecom giant’s satellite service operator, is in talks with SpaceX for a Starlink service by the end of the first half of this year, industry sources said on Tuesday.

SpaceX, which plans to launch a satellite internet service in Korea, applied for business registration with the Korean government in January. On March 8, it established its Korean office, Starlink Korea LLC, with a view to offering services as early as the second quarter.

KT SAT currently operates its own geostationary satellites, Mugunghwa, for satellite communication services in Korea. Its services are primarily used by the military, government agencies, broadcasters, ships and offshore facilities.

Operating at an altitude of 35,000 km, KT’s geostationary satellites provide stable but relatively slow communication services.

By contrast, Starlink’s low-earth orbit satellites, with an altitude of 330-570 km, offer faster data transmission – a download speed of 50-250 megabits per second and an upload speed of 10-20 Mbps.

However, the coverage area is much smaller, requiring more satellites to be deployed for meaningful coverage, industry officials said.

In Korea, Starlink's services will be price competitive compared with local geostationary satellite services, which cost around 1 million won ($765) a month.

Starlink’s monthly fee will likely hover around $110, according to industry watchers.

Write to Sang-eun Lucia Lee at selee@hankyung.com

In-Soo Nam edited this article.