[Alpha Biz= Kim Jisun] Elon Musk’s Starlink has officially launched in South Korea, offering an unlimited residential plan and new B2B services starting December 4. The residential plan is priced at KRW 87,000 per month, with required hardware sold separately for KRW 550,000. Average speeds are 135 Mbps download and 40 Mbps upload, slower than local LTE and 5G, but sufficient for everyday use.

Starlink’s main advantage is its nationwide and remote-area coverage, enabled by thousands of low-Earth-orbit satellites. The service can operate in mountains, offshore areas, and disaster situations—regions where traditional networks often fail.

For B2B, Starlink partnered with SK Telink and KT SAT, securing early contracts with KLCSM, Pan Ocean, and Lotte Property & Development. Potential applications include maritime communication, in-flight Wi-Fi for low-cost carriers, construction sites, and private enterprise networks.

Korea is also expanding efforts in LEO satellite technology ahead of 6G. ETRI plans to launch two LEO satellites by 2030 to build an integrated terrestrial-satellite test network.

 

 

 

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