Elon Musk’s Starlink is now available in the Philippines, the company remarked in the SpaceX Twitter account.
Starlink is a satellite internet constellation operated by SpaceX that provides satellite Internet access coverage to 50 countries. It consists of over 3,580 mass-produced small satellites in low Earth orbit (LEO), which communicate with designated ground transceivers that reach remote locations.
With an additional 12,000 satellites planned to be deployed, with a possible later extension to 42,000, it also aims for global mobile phone service after 2023. Currently, Starlink has one million subscribers, as announced by SpaceX in December 2022.
In the Philippines, Starlink has been in talks with the national government to sell satellite internet to Filipinos for the past few years. Last year, the National Telecommunications Commission expedited the approval of Starlink Internet Services Philippines, Inc.
Fiber-optic services are often thought to be more reliable and can provide faster internet speeds, but satellite internet services would make it possible for people in remote and geographically isolated areas to get online all over the country.
The Department of Information and Communications Technology of the Philippines, has said that the government will pay for putting Starlink in place and connecting communities that are far apart.
Information Technology Secretary Ivan John Uy said that the agency is working with the Department of the Interior and Local Government (Philippines) to find GIDAs, or geographically isolated and disadvantaged areas, where the LEO satellite internet service will be set up.
Uy said the government can shoulder the cost of Starlink internet services in far-flung areas “until such time as there is an economic upliftment in the communities.”
Those in the Philippines may subscribe for a monthly service fee of P2,700, on top of a one-time hardware fee of P29,320.
The published rates for the residential internet service, which promises download speeds of up to 200 megabits per second (Mbps), are lower than the previously announced $99 monthly fee and $599 one-time hardware fee.
Based on Starlink’s availability map, residential internet service is currently available in all parts of the Philippines, except Metro Manila, which is currently on a waitlist.
The company said it is expanding to the region in the first quarter of 2023, while those in Metro Manila can already order and reserve access to Starlink.
Starlink Business, which offers download speeds of up to 350 Mbps, is, however, still not available in the Philippines.
To learn more about Starlink’s offerings, you may visit their website at www.starlink.com.
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