Vietnam to get SpaceX's Starlink satellite internet service this year

Speaking at a review meeting on Tuesday, Long said Vietnam plans to license and carry out a controlled pilot program for SpaceX's low Earth orbit satellite (LEO) telecommunications services.

"The Ministry of Science and Technology aims to issue licenses... once SpaceX completes its investment procedures and establishes a legal entity in Vietnam."

Starlink operates a network of 6,750 LEO satellites orbiting 550 kilometers above the earth. It claims more than 5 million users in 125 countries and territories, according to media platform Context.

The low orbit of its satellites compared to the 35,000 km altitude of geostationary satellites helps reduce latency and enhances data transmission speeds, offering improved performance over traditional satellite internet services.

Starlink booth at the Vietnam Innovation and Startup Day 2023. Photo by VnExpress/Trong Dat

During a limited trial at the 2023 Vietnam Innovation Expo, Starlink achieved download speeds of 150-190 Mbps. By comparison, mobile internet speeds in Vietnam currently average 146 Mbps and fixed broadband speeds average 203 Mbps, according to internet speed testing and analytics company Ookla.

In April SpaceX received approval to start a pilot project. The company is reportedly establishing a ground station in the central city of Da Nang for the purpose.

At a press conference in June, Nguyen Anh Cuong, deputy director of the Authority of Telecommunications, had said SpaceX is in the process of registering as a business and securing investment approval from the Ministry of Finance.

Once completed, the company will apply for a telecommunications license. Once fully operational, Vietnam will become the fifth Southeast Asian country to offer Starlink after the Philippines, Malaysia, Indonesia, and Timor-Leste.

According to Doan Quang Hoan, vice president of the Vietnam Radio-Electronics Association, satellite internet could quickly fill coverage gaps in Vietnam, particularly in remote, mountainous, and offshore areas without access to the power grid.

But he believed that Starlink's introduction would not significantly impact the domestic telecommunications market, as these gaps are relatively small and concentrated in hard-to-reach areas.