Pan-ministerial cooperation for the development of South Korean-style Low Earth Orbit (LEO) satellite communications has begun in earnest. It has been identified that various demands have been received, ranging from essential areas such as military, disaster, land, and information technology to areas for fostering future industries like Urban Air Mobility (UAM). While starting the detailed specification design reflecting these, the government is also considering the establishment of pan-ministerial governance for future operations.
According to government agencies on the 11th, the Ministry of Science and ICT (MSIT) recently completed a survey to identify public demand for LEO satellite communications among related ministries conducted last month.
In the demand identification process carried out via survey, about 10 ministries and public institutions showed high interest by raising demands.
This demand survey was conducted to identify public sector demand for the development of South Korean-style LEO satellite communications. All agencies using their own networks, including MSIT, the Ministry of the Interior and Safety, the Ministry of Land, Infrastructure and Transport, the Ministry of Climate, Energy and Environment, the Korea Forest Service, and the Korea Coast Guard, participated.
As a result of the survey, all ministries answered that LEO satellite communication development is necessary to perform their own missions, and it is known that some presented specific specifications. They suggested purposes such as security or performing essential public services in fields including information technology, military, disaster safety, national geography, maritime, and forestry. As innovative improvements can be achieved in speed and range compared to existing communication networks, public institutions have also actively cooperated.
In particular, opinions were raised that the use of LEO satellite communication is necessary for future industrial fields such as UAM. For the UAM sector, considered a core of future mobility, securing communication networks is essential for commercialization. While technical verification of candidate frequencies for dedicated aerial networks is currently underway, there are voices saying that a seamless control communication environment can be realized if LEO satellite communication is utilized.
MSIT plans to confirm application fields, introduction scale, and necessary services by reviewing public demand by next month. Based on this, it intends to finalize projects, including securing budgets, and begin full-scale development.
Discussions on governance for utilizing LEO satellite communications in the public sector are also expected to proceed. This is because a pan-ministerial body is needed for development as well as operation and budgeting.
To this end, the Defense Acquisition Program Administration (DAPA) has taken the lead in preparing multi-ministerial cooperation plans. The core is the review of a cooperative governance structure, such as defining roles for each ministry, budget sharing, operation methods, and decision-making procedures, based on the premise of multi-ministerial joint use of LEO satellite communications. Furthermore, the necessity of amending laws and regulations required for multi-ministerial cooperation will also be reviewed.
“The identification of demand in the public sector has been completed, and we plan to enter detailed design based on this,” said an official at MSIT. “We will prepare a comprehensive strategy by identifying private demand as well, and we plan to consider building a governance system in the public sector once the project is confirmed.”
