'Unlimited Ultra-High-Speed Communication' Navigates Worldwide... KT SAT Targets Southeast Asia

Launch of Marine Satellite Communication Service Brand 'XWave'
Securing 40% Coverage of Marine Data Demand
Smartship Emergence... Increasing Infrastructure Demand

[Asia Economy Reporter Cha Min-young] KT is strengthening its communication infrastructure strategy for ships through its satellite communication subsidiary. The plan is to fill communication gaps even in the open sea, which was classified as a 'communication blind spot' where terrestrial 5G services do not reach. It has secured coverage accounting for 40% of marine data demand. Through this, KT aims to proactively target the global marine satellite communication market, which grows at an average annual rate of about 9%.

"Covering 40% of Marine Data Demand"

KT's satellite communication subsidiary KT SAT (KT Sat) announced on the 5th that it will launch the marine satellite communication service (MVSAT) specialized brand ‘XWAVE’ and expand into global markets such as Southeast Asia. The brand name XWAVE is a compound of ‘Express,’ meaning ultra-high speed, and ‘Wave,’ referring to ocean waves, reflecting the intention to lead future changes with ultra-high-speed technology.

KT Sat’s flagship service, Marine Satellite Communication Service (MVSAT), is a service that allows ships navigating using satellites to access unlimited ultra-high-speed communication networks. The R-MVSAT (Regional MVSAT) service has provided high-quality Ku-band based communication through the ‘Mugunghwa Satellite.’ KT Sat is also preparing to launch the Mugunghwa Satellite 6A, targeting 2024.

Along with the brand launch, the coverage of the R-MVSAT service has been significantly expanded. Coverage now extends from the Bay of Bengal in northeastern India, through Indonesia, to the western waters of Australia in the Indian Ocean region. This scale can accommodate 40% of the global marine data demand. The existing low-speed communication service (432Kbps), which charged based on usage, has been replaced with unlimited high-speed communication (2Mbps), enhancing quality.

KT Sat’s digital services for ships include Vesselink and live broadcasting services. Vesselink supports economic ship operation through automated data measurement and analysis during ship navigation status reporting, enabling performance analysis and intelligent fleet control. The live broadcasting service, launched in July last year, is Korea’s first real-time marine broadcasting service, supporting global satellite broadcasting to Asia, India, and the Middle East.

Rapid Growth in Marine Satellite Communication... Securing Southeast Asia

As the smart ship market grows, global demand for advanced communication infrastructure continues to increase. Smart ships are high value-added next-generation ship technologies that improve navigation efficiency and create various added values through big data analysis. Accordingly, demand for marine satellite communication as essential infrastructure is also rising.

Customer demand is also confirmed by data. According to global market research firm Modern Intelligence, the global marine satellite communication market is expected to grow at a compound annual growth rate (CAGR) of 9% from 2020 to 2025. The fastest-growing region is North America, but the largest market is expected to be Asia-Pacific. Euroconsult also stated in a report published last year that the Indian Ocean region, corresponding to Southeast Asia, is expected to have an annual growth rate of 27.5% until 2030.

KT Sat is focusing on securing the emerging Southeast Asian market. Song Kyung-min, CEO of KT Sat, said, "We will develop services utilizing ICT technologies such as CCTV specialized for ships, onboard Wi-Fi, and broadcasting to contribute not only to safe navigation but also to improving work efficiency and convenience."

This content was produced with the assistance of AI translation services.