Hyundai Glovis said on the 19th that it has begun introducing low-earth-orbit satellite communication service "Starlink (Starlink)" for its owned vessels.
The Starlink introduced by Hyundai Glovis is a low-earth-orbit satellite communication service operated by U.S. space development corporation SpaceX (SpaceX). Using thousands of small satellites, it provides stable internet access anywhere in the world.
Hyundai Glovis plans to complete the installation of Starlink on a total of 45 owned vessels, including car carriers and bulk carriers, and is installing them sequentially starting with ships arriving in Korea this year.
The advantage of Starlink is that its data transmission speed is faster compared with existing geostationary satellite communications. While the geostationary satellites previously used on ships are located about 36,000 km above the ground, Starlink satellites form a network of small satellites orbiting at a low altitude of 550 km. This reduces the distance to the ground, resulting in noticeably improved speeds compared with existing maritime satellite communications.
While sailing on the open ocean, the time required to download a 1.4GB movie is greatly reduced from the previous 15 minutes to 2 minutes after the introduction of Starlink.
Hyundai Glovis said it will strengthen maritime safety response systems through the introduction of Starlink, and will also pursue the construction of large-capacity data communication infrastructure and improvement of seafarers' working conditions.
Even in maritime danger situations such as ship breakdowns, crew illness, or deteriorating weather, it secures communication range and speed to enable immediate communication and response with the shore, further strengthening the vessel's and crew's safety response capabilities. Through this, the response system for various emergencies that may occur during long-distance voyages will be further advanced.
At the same time, Hyundai Glovis will proactively prepare for the digital transformation of shipping that requires large-capacity data transmission and reception in the future by building a stable high-speed communication infrastructure. Based on this, it will lay the groundwork for introducing next-generation smart shipping technologies such as autonomous ship operation technology and AI-based predictive maintenance.
It will also improve working conditions by providing seafarers with a smooth communication environment comparable to that on shore. While communications were previously limited to text-centered services such as KakaoTalk messages, after the introduction of Starlink, seafarers' "digital welfare" levels will be further enhanced with smooth video streaming and video calls with family.
A Hyundai Glovis official said, "The introduction of low-earth-orbit satellite communications is a foundation to simultaneously enhance the safety and efficiency of ship operations," and added, "We will continue to actively utilize new technologies to realize safe and efficient ship operations and lead the establishment of a sustainable shipping ecosystem."
[OSEN]