SEOUL, January 19 (AJP) - Hyundai Glovis said Monday it has begun installing low-Earth-orbit satellite communications service Starlink across its fleet, aiming to accelerate digital transformation in shipping while enhancing vessel safety management.
The logistics and shipping arm of Hyundai Motor Group is rolling out Starlink on 45 company-owned vessels, including car carriers and bulk carriers. Installation will be carried out sequentially, starting with ships calling at local ports this year.
Starlink is a low-Earth-orbit satellite communications service operated by U.S. space company SpaceX. By using small satellites orbiting about 550 kilometers above Earth, it can offer faster and more stable data connections than conventional geostationary satellites, which operate at roughly 36,000 kilometers, Hyundai Glovis said.
Following the adoption of Starlink, the time required to download 1.4 gigabytes of video content during ocean crossings fell from about 15 minutes to around two minutes, the company said. Hyundai Glovis plans to build a high-capacity data environment at sea and improve communications quality to levels closer to those onshore.
Improved connectivity is also expected to strengthen emergency response capabilities by enabling real-time communication with shore-based teams in situations such as equipment malfunctions, crew illness or injury, and deteriorating weather conditions during long-distance voyages.
“Introducing low-Earth-orbit satellite communications is core infrastructure to improve both safety and efficiency in ship operations,” the company said in a press release.
* This article, published by Aju Business Daily, was translated by AI and edited by AJP.
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