■ If an initial operator installs a gateway after frequency allocation, what factors should be considered regarding the future sharing of satellite frequencies with later entrants?

If the government decides, as a policy, to issue licenses only if even overseas operators establish a gateway within Korea, it may not be easy for them to enter the domestic market.

In the case of Inmarsat, which effectively provides maritime satellite communication services, it operates without a gateway in Korea. Considering this aspect, it may be common practice to proceed by obtaining approval for cross-border supply without installing a domestic gateway, as SpaceX is requesting.

However, a point that must be considered in our government's licensing process is to present requirements that ensure satellite frequency interference does not become an issue for all networks established for public purposes in the future.

For example, domestic satellite operator KT SAT uses a Ku-band geostationary satellite network, so it appears that protection is necessary. However, since there is no legal basis to impose sanctions when the gateway is located overseas, it is necessary to establish institutional frameworks in advance to protect existing domestic operators.

■ The field where the demand for satellite communication is expected to be discussed most actively is

Currently, low-orbit satellite communication has the advantage of being able to easily provide 100Mbps-class services immediately, even in remote mountainous areas where it is difficult to build high-speed internet.

It plays a very important role in countries like the United States and China, where high-speed internet service provision is still incomplete relative to the vast land area. Given that more than one-third of the world's population still cannot access the internet, it will be the fastest means to spread the internet to all regions of the globe.

In addition, even if it is outside the service area of the terrestrial network, smartphones will be able to connect directly through the 6G satellite communication network. At present, this can be utilized as a complementary service to respond to such special situations or disaster situations where the terrestrial network is lost.

Although the market size of the industrial ecosystem considering only the domestic market is bound to be very small, the role of satellite communication networks could be newly highlighted when considering the emergence of 3D spatial communication services in the upcoming 6G era.

In particular, satellite communication networks will be the only alternative capable of providing low-latency connectivity for the control of autonomous vehicles in various spaces and for mobility environments in three-dimensional spaces such as UAM. Through this, a new ecosystem spanning equipment, platforms, and terminals will emerge as a new axis of the ICT industry.

■ Whether domestic smartphone personal satellite communication services, such as satellite text messaging, can be commercialized

Currently, Apple provides smartphone connectivity services using Globalstar, a first-generation low-orbit satellite network. By utilizing already developed satellite communication chipsets, it was easy to develop smartphones capable of providing text messaging services. Similarly, Samsung Electronics utilizes existing low-orbit satellite networks such as Iridium and can connect to satellites from smartphones using already developed chipsets.

However, because these technologies utilize first-generation low-orbit satellite networks built a long time ago, they are only capable of very limited services such as text or voice calls due to issues such as low speed and low-quality antenna performance.

Recently, new low-orbit satellites are being designed to support connectivity services comparable to those of terrestrial smartphones. This concept expands the coverage of terrestrial mobile communication networks by allowing smartphones to directly connect to ground-based mobile base stations via low-orbit satellites. To achieve this, various technologies must be installed on low-orbit satellites to enable mobile terminals with limitations, such as antenna size, to connect directly to the satellite.

In the upcoming 6G era, it is expected that standard communication satellites and terminals optimized for 3D stereoscopic communication services will be developed through the true convergence of terrestrial and satellite networks.

■ If ICT technologies such as AI are applied to satellites

There will be aspects where AI technology is utilized in the construction of satellite networks, and aspects where satellite networks are utilized to apply AI technology.

Achieving optimization in the construction and operation of low-orbit satellite networks is extremely difficult because it involves deploying and managing a large number of satellites. Research results are being published indicating that these problems can be efficiently solved by applying AI technology.

Meanwhile, implementing AI requires a massive amount of computation, making technologies such as edge computing and cloud computing essential. It is predicted that attempts will be made to develop technologies such as building a backbone network for cloud deployment at a low cost by applying satellite networks, or establishing data centers in space by directly equipping satellites with computing capabilities.

■ Please briefly introduce the key topics covered in SCSS 2023.

SCSS is an international academic symposium (Symposium on Satellite Communications Systems & Services) organized by the Satellite Communications Forum to share the latest research results in the field of 6G satellite communications and to serve as a venue for exchange with experts from various countries. We held our first event in 2022 and successfully concluded our second event in mid-October of this year.

This year, the number of papers increased dramatically compared to last year, with over 50 papers published. This surge in the number of published papers can be attributed to the active progress of related research at domestic universities. Meanwhile, the participation of low-orbit satellite communications experts from Spain and Luxembourg has created an opportunity for close future cooperation with overseas companies and research institutions.

This academic conference is expected to serve as a starting point for Korea to play a pivotal role in bringing together experts from around the world to share research results and cooperate with one another as the standardization and commercialization of 6G satellite communication proceed in earnest.

■ Please share your thoughts on the future outlook of the satellite communications industry, and the goals of the Satellite Communications Forum are

The 6G network will provide three-dimensional communication services in which terrestrial and non-terrestrial networks converge into one. In other words, it will become a new communication service infrastructure that enables ultra-high-speed internet everywhere, whether on land, at sea, or in the air.

The satellite communications market is expected to grow continuously across the mass production of satellites and payloads for low-orbit satellite communication, smartphones capable of direct satellite access, and new application services.

To be incorporated into the supply chain of overseas operators that have already secured a dominant market position with massive technological and capital power, securing technological capabilities and component history must be a prerequisite.

From a national strategic perspective, the establishment of an independent satellite network must be considered, and it is expected that this will enable entry into overseas service markets and drive national growth through a Korea-led industrial ecosystem.

The Satellite Communications Forum will serve as a central hub for public-private cooperation necessary for formulating upcoming industrial strategies and national R&D policies, discuss plans for establishing an independent satellite network, and fulfill the role of a think tank to secure the national capabilities required to expand beyond the domestic market and enter the global service market.

Viewed as an extension of our formidable competitiveness—including the world's first commercialization of 5G and the number one global smartphone market share—6G satellite communication is undoubtedly a national industrial foundation that cannot be overlooked. Recognizing its importance early on, our government and industry have been discussing countermeasures and prioritizing the securing of technology through research and development and the establishment of an ecosystem. Accordingly, attempts to conduct a preliminary feasibility study for government R&D investment have been made for several years, but the study has yet to be approved.

It should be noted that the domestically produced fully electronic switching system developed under government leadership laid the foundation for the world's first commercialization of CDMA, and that the construction of the high-speed information and communication network was also made possible by the government's strong policy support. Now is the time to prepare for the era of 6G satellite communication through strong government support, and the Satellite Communication Forum will serve as a focal point for public-private cooperation to secure such policy support.