KT SAT, CEO, Hahn Won-sic, has launched Koreasat 7 in French Guiana. Consequently, KT SAT now has four communications satellites including Koreasat 5, Koreasat 6, and Koreasat 8 which is a condosat.
Koreasat 7 is expected to reach its geostationary orbit on around May 15th(KST) and will begin to provide services from July after going through IOT (In-Orbit- performance Test).
Koreasat 7, built by the Franco-Italian aerospace manufacturer “Thales Alenia Space,” is a communication satellite that will be positioned at 116°E. All necessary tests were held in Cannes and Toulouse, and France conducted over two and a half year period from 2014 to 2017.
Then, the satellite was transported to the launch site in French Guiana on February 14, 2017. The satellite was launched by the French multinational launch service provider “Arianespace,” the company with the highest success rate in launching satellites.
Koreasat 7 will provide global satellite services not only in Korea but also in other countries. Unlike Koreasat 5 and 6 which provided services only in Korea, Koreasat 7 is expected to cover Korea, the Philippines, Indonesia, Indochinese Peninsula, and India.
In particular, Koreasat 7 has a Ka-band* steerable beam*, which can provide services to any region in need of satellite services in addition to the countries mentioned above. Furthermore, it will provide high quality satellite services using a total of 33 transponders including 54MHz broadband transponders optimized for high-resolution satellite broadcasting, and satellite LTE services, and broadcast transponders for UHD satellite broadcasting.
* Ka-band: Covers high radio frequencies (20~36GHz) and can be used with small antennas thanks to its outstanding linearity
* Steerable beams: Beams whose directivity can be adjusted to face the desired region
Although Koreasat 7 has a design life of 15 years, it is expected to operate for over 20 years considering the amount of fuel and KT SAT’s 22 years satellite operation experiences. Ever since the launch of its first satellite, Koreasat 1, in August 1995, KT SAT has been accumulating knowhow and experiences in satellite operation. KT SAT is expected to provide high efficiency services at even more reasonable prices than it used to.
Koreasat 7 is also expected to accelerate the Fourth Industrial Revolution by expanding the telecommunications infrastructure through the utilization of outer space. KT SAT can provide the same kind of mobile environment in the ocean as on land through its maritime communications service “MVSAT.” Satellites will be able to provide seamless communication services in mountainous regions and other remote areas as well.
Hahn Won-sic, CEO of KT SAT said, “Koreasat 7, is long-term project that we have been working on for the last three years. Thanks to its successful launch, we can now provide our services to Indonesia and Indochinese Peninsula. The successful launch of Koreasat 7 will allow KT SAT, Korea’s top satellite operator, to grow into a global satellite operator.”
To successfully target global satellite market, KT SAT has expanded its global sales capacity, has conducted satellite management system GNOSS, and has strengthened global business ability. It will also target the global market by creating packages out of KT’s excellent infrastructure and providing them as total services. KT SAT will actively promote Koreasat 7 at “CommunicAsia 2017,” the largest ICT exhibition in Asia-Pacific to be held in Singapore in May 2017, and utilize GNOSS (Global Network Operation Support System).
GNOSS is the first standardized satellite service management system in Korea that encompasses opening, technical support, VOC (Voice Of the Customer) management, and other services. This system can handle overall network operation services from customer registration to opening management, including transponder leasing, satellite data service, and MVSAT (Maritime Very Small Aperture Terminal) opening. In addition to simple service management, the system can also provide integrated service management and create data through the satellite resource management and report creation functions.
In the third quarter of 2017, KT SAT is planning to launch Koreasat 5A to be positioned at 113°E. Then, KT SAT aims to become a Top 15 Global Satellite Operator by 2020 by increasing its global coverage based on the two new satellites which launched in 2017.
