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.

South Korea\'s Ministry of Science and ICT said it will simplify procedures for establishing mobile communications base stations from Oct. 22, allowing operators to skip separate completion inspections. Under a self-conformity confirmation system, operators will verify requirements themselves and submit a certificate for ministry review and issuance of approval. The ministry will conduct spot inspections afterward and set standards for administrative penalties. It will also refine procedures for training, exports and usage history management of radio jamming devices.