MANILA, Philippines — Elon Musk's SpaceX is one of many firms seeking to provide satellite-based internet access in Southeast Asia, seeing it as a solution to the region's enormous number of netizens' frustrations with sluggish, unreliable connectivity.


"The Philippines has authorized Starlink:" On May 27, Musk tweeted the approval of SpaceX's Starlink satellite internet service by the country's telecoms commission. Starlink is slated to launch across Southeast Asia in the coming months.


Other sections of Southeast Asia are opening up, and SpaceX is ready to take advantage. Around 2023, the American corporation wants to start service in Indonesia, Malaysia, Vietnam, and Myanmar.


In a location with multiple islands, satellite-based internet has obvious advantages. The Philippines has around 7,100 islands, whilst Indonesia has over 16,000 islands. Many distant islands and places outside of major cities lack adequate internet connection, and satellites provide a more cost-effective alternative to building underwater cables.



A volcanic eruption in Tonga, an isolated Pacific island nation, disrupted connections with the rest of the globe in January. It's possible that satellite internet would have kept the country linked.



Satellites may also help to increase internet performance. According to the country's authority, Starlink delivers download rates of 100 to 200 megabits per second, which is far quicker than average internet service in the region. The speed is due to the Starlink satellites' low altitude: 500 km to 2,000 km, compared to almost 36,000 km for geostationary orbit satellites.


Southeast Asians spend a significant amount of time online. According to We Are Social, a U.K. research firm, average daily internet use in the Philippines is over 10 hours and eight and a half hours, much exceeding the global average of roughly seven hours.


According to the Speedtest Global Index, Indonesia placed 100th out of 142 nations and regions in terms of download speeds via mobile devices in April, with 17.96 Mbps and the Philippines 95th with 19.45 Mbps.


The Philippines has been recruiting satellite-based internet providers aggressively, modifying legislation to make it simpler for international businesses to enter the market, for example.


The Philippine commerce and industry secretary, Ramon Lopez, stated of Starlink's introduction in the country, "Their system would supplement as well as complement existing internet capacity." "This will help micro, small, and medium businesses grow, as well as assist online learning, e-commerce, and finance."


Other businesses aren't doing nothing. PLDT, the Philippines' largest telecommunications company, said in February that it had successfully completed the country's first on-orbit testing of high-speed broadband access utilizing a Telesat satellite from Canada. This satellite, like Starlink's, orbits at a low altitude.


Globe Telecom, a local competitor, has inked a memorandum of understanding with AST SpaceMobile, a US satellite operator, to provide service in the Philippines.


The Sky Perfect JSAT firm of Japan has began delivering satellite-based internet access in the Philippines, with the service being used to monitor wind turbines in the country's northern regions. Kacific, a Singapore-based firm, has secured a $50 million financing from the Asian Development Bank for a communications satellite project.


One of the challenges is the financial aspect. Some mobile internet plans in the Philippines cost 300 pesos ($5.67) or less for 24 gigabytes of data over 30 days and are offered by Starlink for $110 or $500 per month.


As a result, satellite internet is likely to be utilized as an emergency backup by businesses in remote places, as well as government organizations, the military, and the media. Once additional competitors enter the market and promote price competition, such services are likely to expand among regular customers.


The geopolitics of Southeast Asia are also piqueing interest in communications satellites. . In the South China Sea, the Philippines and Vietnam are at odds with China over the ownership of the Spratly Islands. In the event that land-based cables are cut, satellites might offer internet connectivity.


Starlink made news earlier last year when it predicted access in Ukraine, which was under Russian bombardment. On Feb. 26, Ukrainian Vice Prime Minister Mykhailo Fedorov issued a Twitter request for the Starlink service to be launched, and communications terminals arrived in Ukraine two days later. In an emergency, being able to start service immediately is a huge benefit.


Starlink is a source of concern for China. According to the South China Morning Post, Chinese academics are urging Starlink satellites to be decommissioned or destroyed if they constitute a national security danger.