SEOUL-- SpaceX, a U.S. space company owned by Elon Musk, has applied for business registration with South Korean authorities to roll out its network of satellite internet service Starlink, sources said Friday.

SpaceX filed the request with the Ministry of Science and ICT earlier this month to launch Starlink in the country, according to the sources.

SpaceX is expected to set up a subsidiary here to qualify for registration.

Starlink uses a range of radio frequencies known as the 28 GHz band to provide high-speed broadband to remote and rural areas.

It is not yet known whether the company will use the same range once it begins service. It might not apply for frequency and instead offer service using ground stations in China and Japan.

Starlink said on its website it will start its internet service in the country sometime during the second quarter of this year.

Source: Yonhap News Agency