MANILA, Philippines – Elon Musk’s SpaceX is now officially entering the Philippines as subsidiary Starlink hurdled registration at the National Telecommunications Commission (NTC).

In a statement on Friday, May 27,  NTC said that it has approved Starlink Internet Services Philippines’ registration as a value-added service (VAS) provider, allowing the company to start offering internet access services to the Philippine market.

NTC said that the VAS registration allows the company to “directly access satellite systems, build, and operate broadband facilities to offer internet services.”

The swift processing, NTC said, “was meant to expedite the service’s immediate roll-out.” NTC approved the VAS registration 30 minutes after the application was submitted.

“We would like to thank the NTC for issuing Starlink’s VAS license 30 minutes after we submitted our application with complete requirements. This shows the government’s seriousness in addressing the connectivity needs of our countrymen in unserved and underserved areas. This will also prepare us in the event of natural disasters and calamities,” said SpaceX counsel Bien Marquez.

“The NTC is steadfast in helping ensure that roll-out of Starlink’s internet access services will be done expeditiously and professionally,” said NTC Commissioner Gamaliel Cordoba.

The Philippines is set to be the first country in Southeast Asia where Starlink would offer services. Starlink is a unit of SpaceX, Musk’s aerospace manufacturer and space transportation company. Starlink provides satellite internet services and has over 1,500 low-Earth orbit satellites.

Starlink is expected to offer high-speed low-latency satellite internet service with download speeds between 100 megabits per second (Mbps) to 200 Mbps. 

Fiber provider Converge ICT Solutions said in February that it will be leasing its earth station and infrastructure to SpaceX. Converge chief executive officer Dennis Uy hinted then that SpaceX wants to “go on their own.” – Rappler.com