SpaceX completing legal steps to launch Starlink internet in Vietnam

By Luu Quy April 1, 2025 | 11:43 pm PT

Authorities in Vietnam are coordinating with Elon Musk’s SpaceX to complete legal procedures and infrastructure preparations needed to launch the company’s Starlink satellite internet service in the country.

At a meeting with Deputy Prime Minister Nguyen Chi Dung on Tuesday, Nguyen Thanh Chung, director of the Authority of Telecommunications, said his agency is working with SpaceX to complete procedures so that the service could be launched.

These include establishing a local business entity and installing a ground gateway station in Vietnam.

"They are preparing the necessary documents and equipment to bring to Vietnam," Chung said, adding that the process is expected to be completed this year.

On March 23 the government granted SpaceX approval to trial Starlink in Vietnam under controlled conditions.

Starlink equipment during a test run in Hanoi in October 2023. Photo by VnExpress/Luu Quy

The trial has to be completed before Jan. 1, 2031. A maximum of 600,000 subscribers can be signed up and the project has to meet national defense and security requirements.

All traffic generated by satellite users in Vietnam must be routed through the local gateway station and connected to the country’s domestic telecom network. User data must also be stored in Vietnam, and service providers must comply with cybersecurity requirements, including preventing the spread of malware and harmful content.

SpaceX has not commented publicly on the terms.

At the same meeting, Ministry of Science and Technology officials said a range of measures are being taken to strengthen the country’s digital infrastructure this year.

The two main priorities are expanding 5G coverage and piloting low-Earth orbit satellite telecommunications services.

Minister of Science and Technology Nguyen Manh Hung said satellite internet could help provide connectivity in remote and mountainous areas. He also called for efforts to double mobile internet speeds this year, and assigned the task to the Authority of Telecommunications.

Starlink operates in more than 120 markets worldwide. It was previously brought to Vietnam for testing during an expo at Hoa Lac, Hanoi, in October 2023. Its internet speed was around 200 Mbps.

Starlink is already in some Southeast Asian countries such as Singapore and Indonesia.

Its users need to buy a hardware kit priced at US$549 that includes an antenna, router and connection cables, and the monthly subscription varies by country and region.