SpaceX official says Starlink satellite internet will be offered in the Philippines this year

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SpaceX is in the process of deploying a constellation of thousands of Starlink satellites that will beam high-speed broadband internet worldwide. Rural areas on Earth will benefit from the space-based internet because it is more reliable that terrestrial infrastructures. With approximately 960 satellites operating in low Earth orbit, the company is already providing Starlink Beta internet service to select customers living in high-latitudes, including northern United States, Canada, and United Kingdom. This year the company will launch more satellites to increase its capability to offer Starlink service to more customers globally.

Philippines Chairman of the Senate Committee on Foreign Relations, Aquilino “Koko” Pimentel III, held a virtual conference on December 28 with SpaceX’s Vice President for Satellite Government Affairs Patricia Cooper. They discussed bringing SpaceX’s Starlink broadband internet service to the Asian island country this year. “In light of the COVID-19 pandemic, the Philippines will immensely benefit from Starlink’s high-speed and low-latency Internet which can make possible effective contact tracing and quarantine monitoring, improved and accessible government services, enhanced security, online education and remote learning, emergency and disaster preparedness,” Senator Pimentel said, according to Manila Bulletin, a Philippines news agency. –“This initiatory engagement with SpaceX is both timely and encouraging. The pandemic has taught us that ‘connectivity is life.’ This is why I believe coverage by the Starlink is very important for the Philippines given that we are a nation of more than 7,600 islands with a substantial number of its citizens living and working outside of the country. Our citizens want and need to be in touch with one another through efficient and affordable means,” he said.

Senator Koko Pimentel underscored the urgency of improving broadband connectivity in the Philippines during an online meeting with the representative of @elonmusk’s Space Exploration Technologies, Corp. (@SpaceX) held on December 28, 2020.

Read more: https://t.co/0KF2LqZ449… pic.twitter.com/AxetExmoCy

— Senator Koko Pimentel (@senkokopimentel) January 2, 2021

During the conference, Ms. Cooper shared SpaceX targets the third quarter of 2021 to provide high-speed Starlink satellite internet in the Philippines, primarily focused on rural and remote areas in the islands. Starlink customers receive internet communication from the satellites orbiting Earth via a phased-array dish antenna and Wi-Fi router device. Additionally, SpaceX plans to build hundreds of ‘Starlink Gateways’ which are ground stations that will offer a more stable connection to its customers. You can sign-up via Starlink.com to receive updates about when the service will be available in your city.

Image Source: SpaceX