SK Telink announced on the 18th that it will provide a “Starlink-based integrated communications and cyber security service” for SK Shipping’s entire fleet. This is the first case in Korea of building and operating a combined satellite communications and security solution for an entire fleet, and is being viewed as a starting point for advancing maritime communications.

Since the low Earth orbit satellite communication service of “Starlink Korea” was commercialized in Korea on the 4th, SK Telink has been securing a leading position in the market by signing a series of large-scale contracts, primarily with the shipping industry.

Recently, across the shipping and shipbuilding industries, the digital transformation of vessels has been progressing rapidly. As a result, the importance of network security, along with high-speed, low-latency (minimized delay) communication quality, has come to the forefront.

Against this backdrop, SK Shipping has reportedly established security standards suited to the IT/OT (information technology/operational technology) environments of vessels and designed an integrated security framework to respond to growing cyber security threats. In line with these requirements, SK Telink has combined the Starlink communications infrastructure and security systems into a single model, implementing a stable “integrated maritime communications and security network.”

The two companies have been cooperating since before Starlink’s official launch in Korea. Taking into account vessel routes and operating environments, they carried out equipment installation and service activation preparations in advance, while SK Telink provided end-to-end consulting from regulatory and technical review to vessel-specific environment analysis and security architecture design. As a result, they completed a system that could be put into immediate operation upon service commercialization.

An SK Telink official said, “The key to this project is not simply applying satellite communications, but meeting both communications quality and security requirements in actual vessel operating environments. Going forward, we will expand this high value-added integrated solution beyond shipping and shipbuilding into various areas such as the public and defense sectors.”

SK Telink is currently the official domestic reseller of Starlink Korea and is expanding its presence in the satellite communications market based on B2B-tailored solutions that go beyond simple service provision to include technical support, security integration, and operational management.

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