Hyundai Glovis rolls out Starlink across shipping fleet

Hyundai Glovis vessels are equipped with SpaceX’s Starlink satellite internet service. (Hyundai Glovis)

Hyundai Glovis has begun installing SpaceX's satellite internet service Starlink on its vessels, enabling high-speed connectivity even in the open ocean, the company said Monday.

The logistics firm is rolling out Starlink sequentially on ships entering South Korean ports this year and plans to equip 45 vessels, including car carriers and bulk carriers.

Starlink provides internet access anywhere in the world with thousands of satellites in low earth orbit. Unlike conventional geostationary satellites positioned about 36,000 kilometers above ground level, Starlink satellites orbit at roughly 550 kilometers, improving data transmission speed.

Hyundai Glovis said the time required to download a 1.4-gigabyte file at sea will be reduced from about 15 minutes to two minutes with the Starlink service.

The company said the installation will enhance the maritime safety response system, build high-capacity data infrastructure and improve working conditions for seafarers. It added enhanced connectivity will allow real-time communication with land in emergencies such as vessel breakdowns, severe weather or onboard accidents.

The service will also support large-scale data transmission and prepare the fleet for next-generation technologies, including autonomous navigation and artificial intelligence-powered predictive maintenance.

Hyundai Glovis said crew welfare will be improved by providing internet access comparable to that on land, enabling services such as seamless video streaming and video calls that were previously constrained by slow connections.

"The introduction of Starlink lays the groundwork for safer and more efficient operations," a company official said. "We will continue adopting emerging technologies to strengthen our competitiveness."