Illustrative image: satellite internet service is about to be launched in Vietnam (https://businesswire.com)
On February 15, Vietnam granted Starlink a licence to provide low-Earth-orbit (LEO) satellite telecommunications services, enabling commercial deployment under a five-year pilot scheme running until 2031. Regulators approved both infrastructure and spectrum use, with an initial rollout of up to four gateway stations and 600,000 user terminals. The framework allows operations without foreign ownership limits, subject to national security conditions, making Vietnam the fifth Southeast Asian market to introduce the service after the Philippines, Malaysia, Indonesia and Timor-Leste.
Business implications
The decision signals a controlled opening of strategic digital infrastructure to foreign players. Expanded satellite coverage could ease connectivity gaps in remote areas and strengthen business resilience, though it may also pressure domestic telecom operators and influence future infrastructure investment dynamics.
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