Elon Musk's Starlink Donation Bridges Vietnam's Connectivity Gaps

Billionaire Elon Musk has announced plans to donate Starlink equipment to support internet connectivity in Vietnam's underserved areas. The post on social media platform X mentioned the handover and delivery of satellite internet devices to remote villages, schools, and hospitals in Vietnam to aid connectivity, garnering over 1.6 million views and 7,100 likes. However, Vietnam's existing telecommunications infrastructure is considered advanced, comparable to developed countries. Mobile 4G networks cover 99.8% of the population, and 5G has reached over 90%. Furthermore, over 87% of households use fiber optic internet, with the fiber optic network extending to 100% of communes nationwide. According to Ookla's latest statistics, Vietnam's mobile and fixed internet speeds rank among the top 10 globally. Musk's move comes a day after the Telecommunications Authority under the Ministry of Science and Technology and Starlink Services Vietnam company organized the reception and handover of Starlink terminal equipment and satellite services to support areas with communication gaps. The initial batch includes 254 Starlink Standard 4X units and a six-month free service package with a maximum access speed of 400 Mbps. These devices will be distributed to the Departments of Science and Technology in 13 provinces and cities before being sent to villages, connectivity blind spots, or areas with weak signals. Nguyen Minh Duc, Starlink Vietnam's Country Director, stated that one of the values of satellite internet is providing connectivity to places where traditional telecommunications infrastructure is difficult to access. Starlink expects to play a "complementary" role to existing infrastructure, especially in border areas, islands, remote regions, and areas with connectivity gaps. This equipment donation is part of SpaceX and Starlink Services Vietnam's commitment to support 1,000 Starlink devices and free services as part of their proposal for a pilot license in Vietnam. Nguyen Thanh Chung, Director of the Telecommunications Authority, noted that introducing Starlink to connectivity blind spots is a supplementary solution for areas with difficult terrain, dispersed populations, and where traditional telecommunications infrastructure deployment takes considerable time. The government's policy is to eliminate connectivity blind spots, ensuring that people can access the internet wherever they are. Currently, there are just over 200 such blind spots remaining across the country. Source: VnExpress