KT eyes on global maritime industry with solutions for safety

BUSAN -- Oh Seong-mok, president of the network business at KT, South Korea’s second-largest mobile carrier by revenue, announced his ambition to bring the company’s latest solutions for small vessels to the global market Wednesday.

At a press conference held at Bexco in Busan, Oh introduced the company’s newest marine telecommunications solutions for small vessels at Marine Week 2017, an international maritime exhibition being held from Tuesday through Friday.

“We have embarked on the development of maritime solutions with a long-term aim to expand into the global market,” Oh told The Korea Herald. “We have learned that there is high demand for on-shore telecom services in both developed and underdeveloped nations, where ships are crucial parts of individuals’ lives.”

KT introduced a big data-based solution to prevent clashes among ships from 10 kilometers away. Dubbed “Marine Navi,” the solution is equipped with an intelligent CCTV and auto identification system that detects obstacles and an unmanned drone named “KT Skyship” that monitors onshore affairs and is able to deliver medical supplies and life jackets at a speed of 70 kilometers per hour. The drone can fly up to 25 kilometers for a maximum of eight hours. 

For seamless communication between offshore and onshore areas, KT expanded coverage of its Long Term Evolution network services for up to 200 kilometers by establishing high-capacity LTE stations in 90 spots near the coastlines of the Korean Peninsula in September.

“Onshore LTE coverage is crucial not only for multimedia use while onboard, but also for safety,” Oh said. “KT aims to continue developing marine safety solutions for individual travelers.”

Business models for the Marine Navi and drone have not been determined yet, but KT expects that commercialization of the solution packages to small maritime businesses and individual vessel owners is a likely option, the president said.

Around 50,000 visitors are expected to attend the Marine Week exhibition this week, according to the organizer. A total of 1,182 companies from 62 countries are taking part in the event this year.

By Song Su-hyun (song@heraldcorp.com)