"It feels like the internet is faster on the ship than at home."
On May 12, aboard the New Sea Dao Pearl, a large passenger ferry traveling between Pohang and Ulleungdo, a video call was made via KakaoTalk with a friend on land. The call maintained high quality without interruptions or audio delays for about 40 minutes, using approximately 1GB of data with no noticeable drop in speed.
The onboard communication environment exceeded simple web browsing and video calls, proving suitable for actual development work. Using OpenAI's Codex, a so-called 'Vibe coding' method was employed to implement a news keyword AI agent, completing a task that took about 10 minutes on land in approximately 16 minutes onboard. Generative AI-based coding was successfully performed while the ferry was in motion.
According to the Korea Intelligent Information Society Agency (NIA), the download speed in the cruise cabin reached 181.34 megabits per second (Mbps), nearly identical to the corridor measurement of 180.68 Mbps.
Historically, internet access on large passenger ferries was limited. Existing geostationary satellite services offered maximum speeds of around 2 Mbps, making even simple message sending difficult for over 1,000 passengers. However, with KT SAT's introduction of Starlink's low Earth orbit satellite service, the onboard communication environment has significantly improved.
George Hoon, head of KT SAT's Global and Marine Customer Service Solutions Task Force, stated, "In the past, it was challenging to send even a single message when many passengers were onboard. By combining Starlink with our own solutions, we have made it possible to achieve internet conditions comparable to those on land while at sea."
KT SAT has also applied its proprietary solution, 'XWAVE-ONE.' This solution adds features such as network separation for passengers, crew, and operational networks, which were difficult to implement with Starlink alone. Hoon explained, "Starlink does not have the necessary network separation or billing functions for ship operations, so we needed to develop a solution. XWAVE-ONE allows for the separation of passenger and operational networks and enables usage management, making it a ship-specific solution."
One of the most notable services is KT's table order service, 'HiOrder,' installed in each cabin. Passengers can order drinks, snacks, and even local specialties from Ulleungdo through the cabin screen. This has enabled onboard commerce services while establishing a stable high-speed Wi-Fi environment within the moving vessel.
To achieve this, KT SAT also conducted a separate design process for wireless access points (AP) tailored to the cruise ship's internal structure. Lee Bong-ha, a member of KT SAT's Global and Marine Customer Team, emphasized, "Our staff measured and adjusted the AP locations by going directly into the cabins and restrooms to ensure stable communication quality even when the door is closed and inside the restroom."
This service not only improves cruise internet access but also expands revenue models for shipping companies. According to KT, the service currently generates an average additional net profit of over 1.5 million won per day based on operational standards. In the future, KT aims to establish a total of 150 HiOrder units on the Ulleungdo cruise, targeting related revenue of over 10 million won.
KT SAT is currently in discussions with overseas shipping companies based on the XWAVE-ONE solution. Hoon noted, "There are not many cases of combining network separation, authentication, and billing systems with Starlink-based ship networks, and we are receiving inquiries from overseas shipping companies regarding this matter."
* This article has been translated by AI.
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