Starlink Philippines update: Latest news, prices, and details

Starlink is the satellite internet service provider owned by Elon Musk, the controversial billionaire through his Space Exploration Technologies Corp. (Starlink Philippines)

Starlink, Musk’s Internet-from-Space venture, will enter the Philippine market in December 2022 and compete against other providers.

Starlink Pipe Mount For Starlink Standard(Gen3)

Many people in the country, especially those in the IT sector, welcomed the change.

The Philippines' sluggish internet and telecommunications networks were again brought to the forefront with the COVID-19 pandemic that will hit in 2020.

The growth of remote work and online jobs has highlighted the need for improved internet services across the country.

The Department of Information and Communications Technology of the Philippines (DICT) has tapped Musk's SpaceX in order to solve the country's connectivity problems.

The DICT met with SpaceX officials in November 2021 to discuss the possibility of Starlink Philippines, a Philippine-registered company that would be a wholly-owned subsidiary of SpaceX.

The company had to move its Philippine debut from the second quarter of 2018 to the first three months of 2023 due to unforeseen circumstances.

Starlink Philippines

Starlink Philippines, the government's plan to bring internet access to remote areas of the Philippines, is the hope the government has for the future.

Starlink's Low Earth Orbit satellites (LEOs) allow remote areas that were previously inaccessible by current telecommunications infrastructures to be connected to internet.

Starlink's connection can achieve a download rate of 200 Mbps and a latency of 20.

DICT Secretary Ivan John Uy described this as "game changing technologies... perfect for our island archipelago, the Philippines... and will certainly bridge the digital division that plagues many other countries... like ours... that are separated by large swatches... of water."

Starlink had been scheduled to enter the Philippine market in December 2022. Its entry date has now been moved to the 1st quarter of 2023, due to delays caused from the launch of Starlink’s over 4,000 Satellites.

Rebecca Hunter, Senior Manager of Government Affairs at SpaceX, announced in July that SpaceX would sell satellite dishes to the Philippines before December.

DataLake Inc., a Laguna-based company owned by business tycoon Henry Sy Jr., is one of the third-party service providers SpaceX has in mind to resell the services and deploy them in the Philippines.

If it goes ahead, the Philippines will become the first Southeast Asia country to utilize SpaceX.

Starlink satellite internet service Philippines prices

Understandably, Starlink's space-based internet doesn't come cheap.

SpaceX's equipment costs USD 599 / Php 33,164 per piece - an expensive price for anyone living in remote regions.

However, the monthly price of its internet connectivity is USD 99 (or Php 5,481 in Philippines) - not a low one.

The DICT stated that the government will shoulder the costs for connecting remote areas residents to Starlink. These communities will be monitored until they reach a certain income level, and then the costs can be transferred to them.

Yugatech - the Philippines oldest and largest tech website - also shared the pricing schemes of one of its readers.

These prices, which are meant for shipping and business lines, are different from those in the government agreement with SpaceX.

Starlink Enterprise KIT

Php 176,176 (starter kit plus taxes)

Php 3,824 (Data Lake and local handling fees)

Php 21,600 (VAT)

TOTAL: Php 201,600

Starlink Maritime KIT

Php 644,376.99 (starter kit plus taxes)

Php 5,624 (Data Lake and local handling fees)

Php 78,000 (VAT)

TOTAL: Php 728,000

It's worth noting that the prices quoted above are not inclusive of installation service fees and travel costs for the technicians who install the equipment.