Government to deploy Starlink in remote communities

MANILA, Philippines — The government will fund the procurement of Starlink services to be installed in far-flung areas in line with its push for universal connectivity.

Information Secretary Ivan John Uy said the government would provide remote areas with access to the internet by tapping Starlink, the satellite constellation owned by billionaire Elon Musk’s SpaceX.

“The government will have to come in. We do have funds in order to deploy this under our Free WiFi (for All) program. We will work with the local government units on how we can not only set up the equipment and connectivity, but also provide the linkage on how this can be sustainable on an annual basis,” Uy said.

Among all the prospective players, Starlink can issue the most competent offer in terms of service quality, he said. Although costly, SpaceX’s broadband system can extend a download speed of 200 Mbps.

In the short term, Uy said the government would shoulder the cost of connecting residents in far-flung areas to Starlink, but would eventually pass on the expenses to the community once their collective income goes up.

According to Uy, hooking up enterprises, farmers and fishermen in isolated areas to the internet will open up a window of opportunities for them on income generation.

SpaceX senior manager for government affairs Rebecca Hunter said the firm would sell Starlink V3 dishes in the Philippine market for its commercial launch this year.

Musk’s internet from space business offers the equipment at $599, or around P33,000, per unit. On the other hand, Hunter said connectivity service goes for $99, or more than P5,500, monthly, with no data caps and required contract.

Hunter said Starlink intends to go online in the Philippines, the first in Southeast Asia, within the year. Uy, for his part, committed that the Department of Communications and Information Technology will assist the firm in going through both legal and regulatory procedures to expedite its entry into the domestic market.

Since 2019, SpaceX has launched about 2,900 satellites to space that beams high-speed, low-latency internet signals across the globe, reaching even underserved communities.

President Marcos, in his first State of the Nation Address, directed the DICT to pursue programs and projects that will provide access to the internet even for Filipinos in remote areas.