On January 16, SM Group’s shipping affiliate, Korea Line Corporation, announced that it has officially launched SpaceX’s low Earth orbit satellite communication service, Starlink, on all of its vessels, marking the first time this has been done in the domestic shipping industry. Korea Line Corporation operates a fleet of 38 vessels, including bulk carriers and liquefied natural gas (LNG) carriers.
With the introduction of Starlink, Korea Line Corporation expects to operate smart ships by utilizing ultra-high-speed, high-performance satellite communication networks. The company anticipates that it will be able to collect and transmit vessel operation data quickly, and that real-time communication between sea and land will become smoother than before, thereby improving the efficiency and quality of onboard work. The company also expects to enhance crew welfare by enabling constant contact with families, remote medical services, and online education for crew members on long voyages.
Starlink’s low Earth orbit (LEO) satellite communication service utilizes more than 8,000 satellites launched at an altitude of approximately 550 kilometers. Compared to traditional geostationary Earth orbit (GEO) satellites, these satellites are positioned closer to Earth, resulting in faster communication speeds. To install and launch Starlink, Korea Line Corporation signed a service agreement in April last year with KT SAT, one of SpaceX’s official business-to-business (B2B) resellers.
Lee Dongsu, CEO of Korea Line Corporation, stated, “By being the first in the industry to introduce Starlink on all vessels, we aim to accelerate the achievement of our business goals and support the group-wide focus on environmental, social, and governance (ESG) management at SM Group.”
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