Space Exploration Technologies Corp (SpaceX) is expanding into the Philippines, offering satellite broadband services to businesses and the government, its local partner announced on Thursday. Data Lake Inc, a Philippines-based company partly owned by tycoon Henry Sy Jr., said it has signed a deal to become SpaceX's first Starlink partner in Southeast Asia.
The Philippines is made up of more than 7,600 islands, many of which are isolated and have mountainous terrain, making broadband coverage difficult for businesses. Around 20 tropical storms also regularly hit the country each year, often damaging infrastructure and disrupting communication links between the islands. and provinces.
SpaceX's Starlink uses a network of thousands of satellites to provide internet access in remote regions or during communications disruptions caused by natural disasters. In the Philippines, only seven out of 100 people have fixed broadband subscriptions, fewer than regional peers. such as Singapore, Malaysia and Thailand, according to the World Bank. Earlier this month, the Philippine Ministry of Information Technology and Communications announced that Starlink plans to enter the Philippine market in 2023.