Korea to invest $362M to develop LEO satellite networks

Tech

Published: 18 Sep. 2023, 15:39 Updated: 18 Sep. 2023, 21:18

Korea to invest $362M to develop LEO satellite networks

Lee Jong-ho, minister of science and ICT, speaks during an emergency economic ministerial meeting held at the government complex in central Seoul on Monday. [YONHAP]

Korea is pouring 480 billion won ($362.3 million) through 2030 to build its own version of the Starlink network with low Earth orbit (LEO) satellites.

The government will ramp up research and development efforts in satellite communication, and file for a preliminary feasibility test in September to set up a test bed LEO satellite network.

For some of the core technologies used in network terminals and ground stations, 11.1 billion won has been allocated for the R&D budget next year, while a 480-billion-won program for LEO satellite technology development will run from 2025 to 2030.

The plan was announced by the Ministry of Science and ICT during an emergency economic ministerial meeting on Monday.

The goal is to bring Korea’s technological capabilities in LEO satellite communication from the current 85 percent level, compared to the world’s leading nation, to 90 percent by 2030.

Moreover, the government hopes to achieve $3 billion in satellite communication exports by 2030.

An LEO satellite, which orbits the earth at an altitude ranging between 500 to 1,500 kilometers (311 to 932 miles), enables ultralow latency and high speed internet connection due to the short distance between the satellites and the earth compared to geostationary satellites orbiting at 36,000 kilometers above the surface.

The Science Ministry plans to establish a public-private collaborative body dubbed the “K-LEO Alliance” by 2024, involving the government, military and private companies to “review the feasibility of securing a domestic LEO communication network with a mid- to long-term perspective.”

The government is also considering allocating a spectrum for satellite communication based on overseas precedents and industrial practices.

“To recreate Korea’s previous success in contract development and manufacturing organizations (CDMA), we will proceed with policy goals outlined in the satellite communication promotion plan in order to join the leading nations and secure the next-generation network service for Korea’s digital future,” said Science Minister Lee Jong-ho.

BY SHIN HA-NEE [shin.hanee@joongang.co.kr]