The Department of Information and Communications Technology says that when Elon Musk’s company SpaceX brings Starlink into the country, it will speed up the rollout of free internet in unserved and underserved areas all over the country (DICT).
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Ivan John Uy, Secretary of the Department of Information and Communications Technology, said that the Philippines is the first country in Southeast Asia to use Starlink’s services, which promise download speeds of up to 200 Mbps.
Uy also said that Starlink’s arrival in the Philippines would be a game-changer because it will add to and improve existing broadband capabilities. This will make it possible for broadband speeds to be faster and connectivity to be better, especially in places where it has been hard or impossible to connect.
Operating Cities and Municipalities
Through the DICT, the national government’s free Wi-Fi program, BroadBand ng Masa, has set up 4,385 operational live sites in 601 cities and municipalities in 73 provinces and Metro Manila.
Starlink’s low earth orbit (LEO) satellite network constellation can improve internet access in areas of the Philippines that don’t have it or don’t have enough of it.
As of February 2023, more than 3,580 Starlink satellites are working. Starlink to Provide Free Internet
On the other hand, the company wants to use as many as 40,000 satellites to bring fast, cheap internet to remote parts of the world. Starlink to Provide Free Internet
The National Telecommunications Commission has permitted Starlink Internet Services Philippines Inc. to be a value-added service provider, and also as the Philippine branch of SpaceX.
With its VAS registration, Starlink can directly connect to satellite systems, build and run broadband facilities, and provide internet services.
Starlink worked with Data Lake, a billionaire Henry Sy Jr. company, to bring satellite broadband services to the country.
