[Jeon Seungmin's Science World] The Space Internet Attracting Investment

[Asia Economy] Elon Musk, CEO of the private space company SpaceX, tweeted on the 8th (local time), "I had some possible conversations with Apple." The topic has attracted attention because it involves integrating SpaceX's space internet service, Starlink, with the iPhone to enable internet access anywhere in the world. Since proper implementation requires complex equipment, Musk and Apple CEO Tim Cook seem to plan to initially allow only emergency services and text messaging.

What exactly is space internet service that makes this possible? First, powerful signals are sent from the ground to several satellites. Then, hundreds to thousands of satellites connect with each other like a web to form a massive internet network, each sending internet signals down to the ground. This way, internet access is possible anywhere on Earth as long as the equipment is available.

Currently, the leading company is, of course, SpaceX. They plan to deploy a total of 12,000 satellites in low Earth orbit and have already started actual service. Following closely is the British telecommunications company OneWeb, which is launching satellites into medium Earth orbit (around 1,200 km) and plans to start service this year with 648 satellites. Amazon has also started the 'Kuiper Project,' providing service using 3,236 satellites, planning to launch more than 1,500 satellites by 2026 to begin the first phase of service. The Chinese government also plans to launch 13,000 low Earth orbit satellites for the 'Chinese version of Starlink' service called Guowang. The intense competition is due to the high market potential. Morgan Stanley has predicted that the space internet market could reach up to $582 billion (approximately 808.98 trillion KRW) within the next 20 years.

To use such services, it seems likely that users will need to subscribe to overseas services. South Korea currently lacks the means to launch a large number of satellites directly, making it difficult to develop its own service. However, there remains the possibility of domestic subscription channels through Korean branches or partners. Hanwha invested $300 million (417 billion KRW) in OneWeb in 2021, raising expectations that domestic service might start soonest through this route.

Jeon Seung-min, Science and Technology Specialist Writer