SM Investments’ Henry Sy Jr. is joining forces with SpaceX’s Elon Musk to launch a nationwide satellite broadband service.
According to Inquirer, Sy’s Data Lake Inc. recently signed an agreement with Musk’s Space Exploration Technologies Corp. (SpaceX), making Data Lake the first Starlink integrator in the Philippines and Southeast Asia.
“The Philippines is an archipelago, and connecting our country to the wider world often requires extensive infrastructure,” said Almeda.
“With the largest constellation of satellites in orbit, Starlink is a flexible service uniquely capable of providing high-bandwidth, reliable internet to the Philippines, even in times of natural disaster,” says Data Lake Chair Anthony Almeda.
Starlink offers broadband services delivered via its network of over 1,600 low-orbit satellites that can reach remote areas in the Philippines. Monthly fees for commercial coverage will start at USD 99 (roughly Php 5,800).
Sy is the eldest son of the late taipan Henry Sy Sr., founder of conglomerate SM Investments which is into market-leading property, retailing, and banking businesses. He also chairs Synergy Grid & Development Philippines, which runs the National Grid Corporation of the Philippines.
Game-changer
Through Starlink, SpaceX will launch thousands of satellites into low Earth orbit to form a constellation of spacecraft capable of beaming high-speed internet to difficult-to-reach areas around the globe.
Last April, Philippine Trade Secretary Ramon Lopez announced that SpaceX was working on its business permit application to operate in the country. Starlink provides high-speed, low-latency broadband internet in over 40 countries.
