Elon Musk’s commercial endeavor to include the Philippines in its extensive broadband satellite service, via the SpaceX Starlink and Converge Information and Computer Technology Solutions Inc., deal remains to be a still going subject.
Word about the business deal went into the airwaves earlier this year, citing “several talks” among officials between the two companies.
Starlink, the Elon Musk-owned low-orbit satellite system, will have reach to remote areas in the country or places that fiber technology simply could not approach due to geographic constraints.
Being low in orbit, Starlink promises to render high-speed broadband internet to such areas that other satellite in higher elevation simply could not.
A feat that will not be easily implemented due to stiff hardware requirement, Converge ICT CEO and Co-founder Dennis Anthony Uy claims that more stations will need to be established in the country before the technology could take off.
Despite having withdrawn from its chance to become the country’s third telco player due to “commercial unviability,” Converge ICT has quite a broad reach that it’s now eyeing to cover at least 55% of the Philippine residential households.
However, to accomplish that, the company has to strengthen its backbone in two key areas, namely Visayas and Mindanao—to which it is currently doing.