Elon Musk's satellite internet company eyes Vietnam market

Tim Hughes, senior vice president in charge of government relations and global business at SpaceX Group, said in a meeting with Prime Minister Pham Minh Chinh Wednesday that the company plans to invest in Vietnam, whose developmental achievements it rates highly.

SpaceX wants to provide Starlink services, especially in places in Vietnam where there is low coverage, he added.

Chinh welcomed the proposal saying it would foster digital transformation and development of the digital economy, and promised that government agencies would get in touch with SpaceX.

But satellite internet services need to be of high quality and at affordable prices to be competitive, he warned.

Starlink has 3,500 active satellites that provide internet services to around 500,000 people in 37 countries.

In Southeast Asia, it has had a presence in the Philippines and Malaysia since early this year.

Chinh is on a six-day working trip to the U.S., starting from Sept. 17. New York is his final destination after San Francisco and Washington.