According to information from the Telecommunications Authority (Ministry of Science and Technology), Starlink service for individual users in Vietnam is expected to cost 435 USD in the first month. This fee includes about 350 USD to buy the terminal equipment set and 85 USD in usage fees.
From the second month, users pay about 85 USD, equivalent to about 2.2 million VND per month to maintain connection.
SpaceX - the Starlink provider, is the first foreign enterprise licensed by Vietnam to pilot satellite Internet services. To use, users need to buy a set of satellite signal receiving and transmitting equipment before registering for a subscription. After installation, users pay monthly fees to maintain the service. Starlink applies a package fee collection method, not calculated based on usage capacity.
The management agency said that the above price is the expected business plan proposed by Starlink. The official figure will be determined when the business starts providing services and declares prices. The final price also depends on many factors, including completing the investment in the gateway system and balancing operating costs when implemented in practice.
Mr. Nguyen Anh Cuong - Deputy Director of the Telecommunications Authority (Ministry of Science and Technology) said that this is a reasonable price compared to the general level in the world. According to him, Starlink is applying a relatively uniform price policy between countries in the same region. He said that many countries in Europe, Southeast Asia or Africa have similar prices.
In fact, in the Philippines, Starlink service currently costs about 2,700 pesos, equivalent to about 50 USD per month. In Indonesia, the price is about 750,000 rupiah, equivalent to 45 USD. In Europe such as Germany and France, the service fee ranges from about 40 to 70 euros per month. In Japan, users pay about 6,000 to 7,000 yen, equivalent to 45 to 50 USD per month. Meanwhile, in the US, a package for individual customers is about 120 USD per month.
In addition to the package for households, Starlink also offers packages for businesses with higher rates. In return, the service has the ability to serve multiple devices and is prioritized for bandwidth. The company also offers packages for mobile, maritime and aviation vehicles. These packages are more expensive due to the requirement for specialized equipment.
According to Mr. Cuong, in terms of quality and price, satellite Internet is difficult to directly compete with terrestrial telecommunications networks in Vietnam. However, this service can meet the needs in areas without telecommunications infrastructure.
In the initial phase, the service is expected to be deployed with 4 gateway stations and a maximum of 600,000 terminals. The Telecommunications Authority said that this scale is still small compared to the fixed Internet market in Vietnam, which currently has about 25 million subscribers. The maximum number of Starlink devices is only equivalent to about 1 to 2% of the market size.
Starlink is a satellite Internet service developed by SpaceX, owned by billionaire Elon Musk. The system operates with low-orbit satellites at an altitude of about 550 km above the ground. This level is much lower than traditional geostationary satellites at an altitude of over 35,000 km.
Low-orbit satellite internet is expected to supplement existing telecommunications infrastructure. This technology helps increase connectivity in areas where it is difficult to deploy ground-based transmission infrastructure and improve network backup capabilities. This is also a solution contributing to strengthening digital infrastructure to serve the development of the digital economy, digital society and national digital transformation.
