Satellite internet: Starlink receives operating permit in Vietnam

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The Vietnamese government has granted US space company SpaceX, founded by Elon Musk, permission to launch its Starlink satellite internet service in the country. This was reported by state-run Vietnamese media over the weekend.

According to the reports, the Ministry of Science and Technology issued Starlink Services Vietnam, the Vietnamese subsidiary of Starlink, a license last Friday to provide telecommunications services with network infrastructure, specifically a fixed satellite telecommunications network. Furthermore, the company received approval for the use of radio frequencies and radio equipment. This means Starlink is legally permitted to deploy transmission and reception infrastructure in Vietnam.

Five-year pilot phase

Under the granted radio frequency license, the company will deploy four gateway stations and a maximum of 600.000 user terminals in Vietnam during the initial deployment phase. The pilot phase is planned for five years and will expire before January 1, 2031, writes the Vietnamese daily Hanoi Times.

The Vietnamese online portal Vietnamnet speaks of a "significant milestone in Vietnam's journey to strengthen its national digital infrastructure." The move is "more than just an administrative decision"; it signals "that Vietnam is opening up more decisively to next-generation space technology, where internet access is no longer limited by mountainous terrain, offshore islands, or long-standing infrastructure blind spots." The decision can be "seen as a strategic boost for connectivity infrastructure, officially integrating internet from space into the country's digital development strategy."

Starlink for remote areas

According to Hanoi Times, Vietnam has internet coverage for more than three-quarters of its population, with mobile connections being the primary access channel. Urban areas have comprehensive fiber optic broadband and 4G coverage; 5G services are being gradually rolled out in major cities. The market is dominated by major domestic operators such as Viettel, VNPT, and MobiFone. These are investing heavily in fiber optic networks for households and nationwide mobile coverage. However, coverage gaps persist in remote mountainous regions, border areas, and offshore islands. Building terrestrial infrastructure there is costly and technically challenging.

The introduction of Starlink satellite internet is intended to provide Vietnam with broadband connectivity across the entire country, especially in these hard-to-reach areas. Vietnamnet speculates that SpaceX could invest $1.5 billion in Vietnam.

The SpaceX project Starlink, aimed at building a satellite network, is an ambitious project by Elon Musk to deliver high-speed internet to consumers worldwide. Starlink currently has over 9.400 active satellites in orbit. Earlier this year, the US telecommunications authority FCC approved SpaceX to launch 7,500 more Starlink satellites.

Months of tug-of-war

The license issuance in Vietnam was preceded by a months-long process. In March of last year, the Vietnamese government established the legal framework that would allow SpaceX to operate its internet service in the country.

Observers interpret the US space company's recent approval as a political signal. It is expected that Tô Lâm, General Secretary of the Communist Party of Vietnam, will travel to Washington, where he will attend the constituent session of the "Peace Council" initiated by US President Donald Trump at the end of the week. The trip has not yet been officially announced.

Furthermore, Vietnam and the United States continue to negotiate a trade agreement after Hanoi succeeded in negotiating down tariffs for exports of Vietnamese goods to the United States to 20 percent. Earlier this month, both sides held a sixth round of negotiations but did not reach a final agreement.

(akn)