Marcos eyes partnership with Starlink to improve internet connectivity in PH

Metro Manila (CNN Philippines, November 19) — The Philippines is looking to tie up with Elon Musk's internet service provider Starlink to further boost connectivity across the country.

President Ferdinand Marcos Jr. made the announcement after meeting with members of the Filipino community in Los Angeles, California on Sunday (Philippine time). He said he and members of his delegation were given a tour of the SpaceX facility, adding that the county's unique landscape makes it ideal for a satellite broadband service like Starlink.

"That vast archipelago is an ideal candidate for satellite broadband service and we look forward to improving broadband connectivity in the Philippines through Starlink and through all the others," he said.

The president also said poor internet connection still plagued the country, but this would change because of the links forged during his US trip.

"We are very confident that we will no longer hear complaints about our internet, our online services. We will instead be hearing praises for the speed of our country’s internet connectivity," he added.

Digitalization remains one of the key developments pushed by the Marcos administration. Earlier, he called on Filipinos to embrace technology, saying it has the power to bridge gaps that would otherwise be difficult to close.

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Starlink became available in the Philippines in February, almost a year after it received the government’s approval to register in the country as a value-added service provider.

https://www.cnnphilippines.com/business/2023/2/22/Starlink-now-live-PH.html