KT, SkyLife launch upgraded satellite TV service

Models promote KT and KT SkyLife’s new satellite TV service based on the LTE network at the telecom company’s office near Gwanghwamun, Seoul, Wednesday. / Courtesy of KT

By Yoon Sung-won

KT and its affiliate KT SkyLife launched an upgraded satellite TV service for cars, combining satellite broadcasting and long-term evolution (LTE) mobile network technologies, Wednesday.

As the new service is expected to gain extra momentum on the back of autonomous cars, the companies pledged to target not only Korea but also global markets, especially in advanced countries with nationwide LTE infrastructure.

“Once the era of autonomous driving cars begins, the mobile media market is also expected to grow rapidly. Our SkyLife LTE TV service will mark the beginning of a new mobile media market,” Lim Heon-moon, president of KT’s mass general business division, said at a press conference.

Citing 2016 data by the Ministry of Culture, Sports and Tourism, KT said about 5 million people count camping as a hobby, boosting the number of passengers for express buses and high-speed trains.

Despite the expanding demand for mobile media services, the existing satellite TV service has lacked improvements because Korea’s mountainous landscape and over 2,000 tunnels nationwide undermine service quality. The exiting satellite signal receivers for cars are too bulky, making drivers hesitate to install the devices.

KT and KT SkyLife said they jointly developed three technologies to realize the smooth shift between LTE mobile and satellite networks. They also developed a new satellite antenna which is only one-fifth the size of the previous model.

“Unlike network-based media such as IPTV services, satellite broadcasting doesn’t add a burden to network traffic,” KT’s marketing division head Kang Kook-hyun said. “We will have to handle massive amounts of data traffic in the fifth-generation network era. We believe satellite broadcasting, supported by LTE technology, will significantly boost network efficiency in the future.”

Kang said the new satellite TV service will first target over 2,000 premium express buses and 4,800 chartered buses in Korea. It will also launch marketing activities for the owners of 890,000 recreation vehicles here.

“We aim at drawing 100,000 subscribers within this year and expanding the number to 300,000 by the end of next year,” Kang said.

KT and KT SkyLife said the service will provide about 40 channels for 15,000 won per month. Video on demand will also be provided starting November, Kang said.