Elon Musk taps tycoon Henry Sy Jr. for Philippine satellite internet
Starlink provides reliable internet that's crucial especially during natural calamities
Philippine tycoon Henry Sy Jr. will partner with Elon Musk to launch a satellite broadband service in the Southeast Asian nation.
Data Lake Inc. signed an agreement with Space Exploration Technologies Corp., making it the first Starlink integrator in the country and in Southeast Asia, the Sy-owned company said in a statement.
"With 7,640 islands, connecting the Philippine archipelago to the rest of the world often requires extensive infrastructure," Data Lake Chairman Anthony Almeda said. Starlink, with its constellation of satellites in orbit, provides high bandwidth and reliable internet that's crucial especially during natural calamities, he said.
Starlink targets to make its service available in the Philippines in the coming months, Jonathan Hofeller, vice president of Starlink commercial sales at SpaceX, said.