Elon Musk company close to securing pilot licence for Starlink satellite internet services in Vietnam: official

The U.S.'s SpaceX is preparing to resubmit its application for a pilot licence to provide Starlink satellite internet services in Vietnam, after addressing several issues raised by regulators.

Nguyen Anh Cuong, deputy director of the Telecoms Authority under the Ministry of Technology and Science, disclosed the information at a regular ministerial press briefing on Monday. The company “has reached the final stage” of the licensing process, he added.

SpaceX had previously filed its documents for review by the Ministry of Technology and Science, which then seeked assessments by the defence and public security ministries.

The dossier was returned to the company for clarification before approval. “They are expected to resubmit the application this week. We will try to issue the licence as soon as possible,” Cuong said.

Eearly this year, Deputy Prime Minister Nguyen Chi Dung signed a prime ministerial decision granting in-principle approval for SpaceX's "controlled pilot deployment" of telecom services using low-orbit satellite technology, without any limit on foreign ownership.

Specifically, SpaceX is allowed to conduct a controlled pilot investment in telecom service with network infrastructure - a type of satellite telecom network using low-orbit satellite technology in Vietnam. The pilot will be carried out on the principle of ensuring national defense and security.

The pilot service will be carried out within five years from the date of licence issuance and end before January 1, 2031.

The decision also states that the company must commit to ensuring compliance with the requirements and conditions. These include requirements on types of service, scope of deployment, maximum number of subscribers, frequency of use, and especially national defense and security.

The types of services to be deployed on a pilot basis include fixed satellite services (internet access services, private leased line services for mobile receiving and transmitting stations), mobile satellite services (internet access services at sea and internet access services on airplanes).

The maximum number of subscribers is 600,000, including the total number of telecom service subscribers of enterprises established in Vietnam and of telecom companies reselling services of companies established in Vietnam.

Previously, in September last year, Tim Hughes, senior vice president for global business and government affairs at SpaceX, had met Prime Minister Chinh in Hanoi, where he'd affirmed that his company was ready to invest and provide its Starlink satellite internet services in the country.

SpaceX, a provider of spacecraft, satellite launch services, and satellite communications, plans to invest up to $1.5 billion in Vietnam, according to the Vietnamese government's news portal then.

Meanwhile, the licensing process for Amazon's Kuiper service has also progressed rapidly, following a meeting with the Ministry of Science and Technology in August, according to Nguyen Anh Cuong, deputy director of the Telecoms Authority.

The Department of Telecommunications and the Department of Frequency have provided detailed guidelines on the components of the dossier that the company needs to provide. By November 24, Amazon had completed the dossier. "The Department of Telecommunications will coordinate with relevant ministries and branches to appraise it," said Cuong.

Amazon’s pilot application will need to be approved in principle by Prime Minister Pham Minh Chinh, based on an assessment of national defense and security and economic development. If approved in principle, Amazon will proceed with the procedures for establishing a company, registering for investment, and applying for a telecommunications license, similar to Starlink.

During a working session with Vietnam's Deputy Minister of Science and Technology Pham Duc Long on August 27 this year, Gonzalo de Dios, head of global licensing for Project Kuiper at Amazon, noted that Vietnam holds an important position in Amazon’s development strategy.

He said Project Kuiper, Amazon’s low Earth orbit (LEO) satellite broadband network, aims to build a system of more than 3,200 LEO satellites to provide high-speed connectivity to remote, rural, and island areas. The service could reach speeds of up to 400 Mbps for individuals and 1 Gbps for businesses, with low latency and integrated security solutions from Amazon Web Services (AWS).

According to Gonzalo de Dios, Amazon had already launched 102 satellites and aims to complete at least 50% of the remaining satellites by 2026.