Henry Sy Jr. and Elon Musk Set to Launch a Satellite Broadband Service in the Philippines

Henry Sy Jr. is reportedly launching his own satellite broadband service to challenge local providers. And who better to help him do so than Elon Musk?

Sy Jr. and Anthony Almeda's Data Lake Inc. has agreed with Musk's Space Exploration Technologies Corp. (SpaceX)'s Starlink to offer broadband services to commercial and public sectors nationwide. The partnership makes Data Lake Inc. the first company in the Philippines and in Southeast Asia to integrate Starlink.

“The Philippines is an archipelago, and connecting our country to the wider world often requires extensive infrastructure. With the largest constellation of satellites on orbit, Starlink is a flexible service uniquely capable of providing high-bandwidth, reliable internet to the Philippines, even in times of natural disaster,” Data Lake Chairman Anthony Almeda told the Manila Standard.

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Sy, who also happens to be the chairman of Synergy Grid & Development Philippines, credits Starlink's "constellation of satellites on orbit," ensuring high-bandwidth capability. This makes it ideal for hard-to-reach areas in the country, as well as for unfortunate situations brought on by natural disasters. Starlink currently offers high-speed, low-latency broadband internet in more than 40 countries worldwide.

SpaceX Vice President of Starlink Sales Jonathan Hofeller added: “Starlink achieves game-changing connectivity in hard-to-reach, remote areas on land, at sea, and in the air. We look forward to making the service available in the Philippines in the coming months, and we’re grateful to those who have aided in our ability to connect everyday people, businesses, and government entities.”

Low-orbit satellites have once only been used for military and scientific exploration. But tech moguls like Musk have utilized them to provide high-speed internet in areas without fiber lines and cell towers.

Monthly fees for commercial coverage start at $99 (roughly P5,800). The service's exact debut date here in the country has yet to be announced.