It’s just a matter of time before Starlink starts operating in the Philippines. Don’t get your hopes up yet as it will cost a fortune to access the service.
SpaceX and Starlink representative Rebecca Hubert has already confirmed the prices in a press briefing with the Department of Information and Communications (DICT).
The Starlink kit, consisting of a satellite dish and a router, will cost $599 or roughly Php 33,300. Meanwhile, the monthly subscription fee will cost $99 or roughly Php 5,500.
“Once you set it up, this (satellite) dish searches the sky for the strongest signal for the satellite. We have several dozen satellites over the Philippines at any given time,” said DICT Secretary Ivan John Uy.
Starlink Free for Remote Areas
Lucky for those in the remote areas of the Philippines, DICT said it will provide the service for free as the government has available funds to implement the project under the Free WiFi Program.
“The Broadband ng Masa project is actually linked to the Free WiFi project. The challenge has always been these far-flung areas that do not have this broadband connectivity because the telcos find it not suitable, not feasible for them to make those kinds of investments in those areas,” Uy said.
DICT is already discussing with SpaceX the scope and the commercial terms of the project.
