When will Starlink satellite internet be commercial in Vietnam?
(Dan Tri) - The infrastructure for Starlink satellite Internet service is being deployed by Starlink Services Vietnam, but the date of commercialization has not yet been announced.
Starlink helps users access high-speed Internet right in areas with low signal coverage, remote areas (Illustration: GeekWire).
Infrastructure is being built
According to Dan Tri's own source, Starlink Services Vietnam company is preparing the infrastructure to provide Starlink satellite Internet service and it is currently unclear when it will provide this service in Vietnam.
On the official SpaceX information page, the country of Vietnam has also been labeled Starlink Internet available soon in this region.
In addition, on the global Starlink satellite map system, the locations of ground station ports in Vietnam have also been displayed in the under-construction state.
According to the license granted to Starlink Services Vietnam by the Radio Frequency Department (Ministry of Science and Technology), the company will establish and operate ground gateway stations (Gateway).
In the Northern region, Gateway station is located in Binh Nguyen commune, Phu Tho province. In the Central region, the strategic connection point is located in Lien Chieu 2 ward, Lien Chieu district, Da Nang.
In the South, Starlink set up two transfer stations in Ho Chi Minh City: One is located in Tang Nhon Phu ward and the other is in Tan Thuan ward, District 7.
The selection of two different locations in Ho Chi Minh City shows the company's careful preparation to meet the large connection traffic and bandwidth backup for the southern region.
The Radio Frequency Department said that all four Gateway stations are equipped with the latest generation equipment system called Gateway V4, manufactured by Space Exploration Technologies Corp (SpaceX).
These stations will connect directly to satellite constellations such as STEAM-2, STEAM-2B, USASAT-NGSO-3D and USASAT-NGSO-3X operating in low orbit (LEO).
Technically, the transmitting stations use an antenna system measuring 1.85 meters, operating in parallel on two bands, Ka and E. Using the E band (81-86 GHz) with strictly controlled transmission power allows Starlink to achieve extremely high data transmission speeds while still ensuring high stability.
Users do not have to apply for a license to use the frequency
According to the reporter's own source, the expected price of Starlink satellite Internet service is about 85 USD/month (equivalent to about 2.2 million VND), with the cost of transceiver equipment (terminal) being 350 USD - about 9.2 million VND.
If calculating the total cost for the first year including a terminal of 350 USD and a subscription fee of 1,020 USD/year, users will have to pay about 1,370 USD (equivalent to about 34-35 million VND/year).
From the second year onwards, users only need to pay a subscription fee of about 1,020 USD per year (about 26 million VND). This cost shows that satellite Internet is still a relatively expensive service compared to income levels and telecommunications costs in Vietnam.
During the pilot phase, Starlink is provided with a maximum of 600,000 terminal devices (equivalent to only about 2.5% of the total number of existing fixed broadband subscribers in Vietnam).
Therefore, low-range satellite services are less likely to compete with fixed and mobile broadband services that Vietnamese businesses are providing.
In addition, Starlink is responsible for fully complying with legal regulations on price management and competition like other telecommunications enterprises participating in the market.
The Radio Frequency Department notes that when using official services through subscription from a licensed network operator, users do not have to apply for a license to use separate radio frequencies and equipment for satellite terminals.
Users are required to use terminal devices that have been certified to comply with regulations and have officially registered for services with Starlink Services Vietnam Co., Ltd. It is strictly prohibited to arbitrarily bring a terminal device from abroad and then activate it via the roaming feature to circumvent the law.