Elon Musk-owned SpaceX is looking at Bataan as a base of operations for its Starlink service that aims to provide internet connectivity to far-flung areas using low-orbit satellites.

Authority of Freeport Area of Bataan (AFAB) administrator Emmanuel Pineda said that they had a series of productive meetings with SpaceX executives over the past months.

“In those meetings, the AFAB, in conjunction with the provincial leaders of Bataan and with the assistance of FAB enterprise, iWave Advanced Research Group, discussed the possibility of Starlink initially launching its service in the province of Bataan by establishing a base of operations in the FAB,” Pineda said.

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The AFAB admin added that the new enactment of the RA No. 11659, or the Public Service Act that allows full foreign ownership for telcos, gave SpaceX and its internet service Starlink the option to pursue the regulatory process and start drawing up an operational plan.

Pineda said that SpaceX executives really want to complete the process within the year. More updates regarding Starlink’s operations in the Philippines should be out soon.

For a quick background, SpaceX has launched a constellation of over 1,600 low-orbit satellites in space back in 2021. Such satellites will beam internet connectivity directly to subscribers.

The government hopes that Starlink’s entry into the Philippines will help in improving broadband speeds, reliability, and capacity, and intensify the competition that should result in cheaper rates.

Via: Manila Standard

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