Telecommunications & Media
Low-earth-orbit satellite communications: How to use them in the space internet era
Low-earth-orbit satellite communications aim to extend network coverage to areas beyond terrestrial infrastructure, including mountains, islands, open seas and the sky. Unlike geostationary satellites at about 36,000 km altitude, low-earth-orbit satellites operate at about 200 to 2,000 km, reducing latency but requiring large constellations. South Korea has approved cross-border supply deals involving Starlink and Eutelsat OneWeb. The government targets an independent network by 2035 and plans a 300 billion won R&D programme by 2030.