Space Exploration Technologies Corp. (SpaceX), the aerospace company of billionaire Elon Musk, will soon be operating in the Philippines and is set to bring high-speed satellite broadband connectivity to customers, particularly to areas in the country where connectivity has been difficult or impossible.
Preparations are underway for the business registration of SpaceX’s wholly-owned subsidiary in the Philippines. The company will provide internet services in the Philippines using its Low Earth Orbit (LEO) satellite network constellation called Starlink. The constellation consists of over 1,600 satellites as of mid-2021 and will eventually comprise thousands more mass-produced small satellites in LEO, which communicate with designated ground transceivers. Starlink will launch commercially in the Philippines in 2023.
SpaceX is bullish on the growing consumer base and much-improved investment climate in the Philippines with the current major economic reforms. The company noted that the recent signing of the amended Public Service Act (PSA), which allows up to 100% foreign ownership of public services in the Philippines, was a critical factor in SpaceX’s decision to invest, as all its technologies are proprietary.
(Sources: INQUIRER.net; Philippine Department of Trade and Industry)
