Government Expected to Begin Approval Process for Cross-Border Agreement in March
The domestic launch of Starlink satellite internet service by SpaceX, led by Elon Musk, is expected to take place around the second quarter of this year.
The government anticipates approval of the cross-border supply agreement necessary for the domestic launch of Starlink satellite internet service sometime after March. Considering the time required for the Ministry of Government Legislation’s review and the Regulatory Review by the Office for Government Policy Coordination following the approval of the cross-border supply agreement, the start of Starlink satellite communication service in Korea is expected to be no earlier than the beginning of the second quarter.
According to the IT industry and authorities on the 14th, the Ministry of Science and ICT plans to establish frequency usage conditions for the approval of the cross-border supply agreement for Starlink service on the 17th.
Frequency usage conditions refer to regulations that impose obligations on low Earth orbit satellite communication service providers like SpaceX to prevent foreseeable side effects such as frequency interference when providing satellite communication services.
The Ministry of Science and ICT plans to finalize the frequency usage conditions after hearing opinions from SpaceX next month, once the conditions are prepared within this week.
The frequency usage conditions that the Ministry of Science and ICT will require from SpaceX are reported to include domestic satellite protection, obligations to cooperate in frequency sharing with other operators, and protection of terrestrial radio waves.
Afterward, the Ministry of Science and ICT will begin the approval process for the cross-border supply agreement between Starlink Korea and SpaceX headquarters in the United States, which is expected to occur after March.
However, SpaceX has not informed the authorities of a definitive plan regarding when domestic service will begin. According to the Telecommunications Business Act, foreign operators providing domestic telecommunications services must enter into a cross-border supply agreement with domestic telecommunications operators and obtain approval from the authorities.
Starlink has signed a cross-border supply agreement with its domestic corporation, Starlink Korea, established for this purpose. Similarly, the UK-based OneWeb, which is also pursuing entry into the domestic market, has signed an agreement with Hanwha Systems. The administrative notice for technical standards on Starlink terminals by the authorities is open until the 15th.
Originally, Starlink satellite communication service was expected to be introduced domestically early this year, but the administrative notice period was extended after SpaceX requested changes to the technical standards. The administrative notice for technical standards on OneWeb terminals is scheduled until March 4.
© The Asia Business Daily(www.asiae.co.kr). All rights reserved.
