Why Elon Musk's Starlink Chose the Philippines Over Korea?[Reading Science]

Philippine Government Announces "Starlink Service to Start Soon" on 31st Last Month

[Asia Economy Reporter Kim Bong-su] SpaceX's Starlink satellite internet service will first be available in the Philippines in Asia. Starlink satellite internet gained attention as an alternative during Russia's invasion of Ukraine when existing terrestrial networks were paralyzed or unavailable. There is curiosity about why the Philippines was chosen instead of South Korea, Asia's top internet powerhouse.

According to the space-specialized media 'SpaceNews' on the 3rd, the Philippine government announced on the 31st of last month that the Philippines will become the first country in Asia to access SpaceX's Starlink broadband service.

To this end, SpaceX is establishing a wholly-owned subsidiary in the Philippines. Initially, three gateways will be installed to start services targeting areas where internet connection is currently impossible or difficult. SpaceX and the Philippine government discussed detailed schedules such as contracts and service launches during a visit by the Philippine investment delegation to the United States in November last year. The process accelerated especially after Philippine President Rodrigo Duterte signed a bill on the 21st of last month allowing foreigners to establish public service companies with 100% ownership.

The Philippine government stated, "We have had consecutive meetings with SpaceX following the signing of the Public Service Act and are conducting follow-up discussions," adding, "SpaceX has submitted a business permit application which is being processed, and they are currently visiting locations to install gateways."

On the same day, Ramon Lopez, Philippine Secretary of Trade and Finance, explained, "The Starlink system will strengthen and complement existing broadband internet networks," adding, "It can help empower small and medium-sized enterprises and expand online learning, online commerce, and retail finance."

It is analyzed that SpaceX chose the Philippines as the first region in Asia to launch Starlink service considering geographical characteristics and the condition of existing networks. The Philippines consists of tens of thousands of islands, making existing terrestrial broadband internet networks very poor and inevitably having many blind spots. The advantage of satellite internet service, which allows access to the internet 'anytime, anywhere,' can be maximized, making it easier to secure market share.

Meanwhile, Elon Musk, the American billionaire famous for the electric car Tesla and the space exploration company SpaceX for 'Mars exploration,' started the Starlink project in 2014, saying, "I will launch internet communication satellites into space so that anyone can use the internet anytime, anywhere." From 2019 to recently, 2,335 small communication satellites have been launched, of which 2,110 are in orbit. About 10,000 more are planned to be launched. Pilot service began in early 2020 starting in North America. When Russia invaded Ukraine on the 24th of last month, paralyzing some terrestrial internet networks, the Ukrainian government requested the launch of Starlink service, and Musk readily agreed, making it a global topic. The Ukraine war is the first large-scale war broadcast live through internet and social media services using Starlink, showing the battlefield horrors such as burning tanks and shattered civilian apartments and hospitals. Subsequently, as criticism against Russia intensified, European countries significantly increased support for the Ukrainian government, greatly influencing the course of the war. Recently, the global subscriber count surpassed 250,000. In response, SpaceX is expanding service areas and raising terminal and subscription fees by 10-20%, engaging in 'rowing' efforts.