Another firm to offer satellite internet for PH

California-based company Astranis—which is set to offer satellite-based internet connectivity in the Philippines next year—is currently preparing the deployment of a satellite that will provide service to 2 million Filipinos, especially those in underserved communities.

An Astranis spokesperson told the Inquirer they were finalizing a launch of several satellites, which will take place before the year ends.

“The satellite for the Philippines will be launched alongside four other Astranis MicroGEO satellites on a dedicated rocket—and we expect to be able to share details on the launch date and launch provider shortly,” the spokesperson said.

“As soon as those satellites are through the factory, we will begin the assembly, integration, and testing of the Philippine satellite,” the company representative added.

The American technology company seeks to establish connectivity in over 5,000 locations in the country with the first satellite and it hopes to deploy more for wider coverage.

Astranis is teaming up with satellite services provider Orbits Corp. in delivering the modern technology into the country. The latter has a sister company, HTech Corp., which is an internet service provider.

“We have been working with them to find a solution that will work for the Philippines,” the spokesperson explained.

“Orbits is very capable and very experienced, with over 20 years of providing internet services to the Philippines. Having a local partner who understands the local landscape and the unique needs of a country is a critical factor for our success in any given market,” the spokesperson said.

For remote locations

The company noted the need to build satellite-based internet infrastructure for the country to provide coverage in remote areas in mountains and islands where traditional telecommunication towers are challenging to mount on.

The Department of Information and Communications Technology is focused on bringing internet services in geographically isolated and disadvantaged areas, which comprise 65 percent of the country. As such, tech mogul Elon Musk’s Starlink Internet Services Philippines was granted the license to operate as an internet service provider in the country last year.

Luxembourg-based connectivity solutions firm SES and local technology startup Quicksilver Satcom Ventures, meanwhile, expressed interest to provide satellite services as well in the past year.

“We in the space industry are all working together to solve the same problem, a problem that requires space-based solutions,” the spokesperson said.

Founded in 2015, Astranis is also setting up business in Alaska, Peru and North America. It has raised over $400 million in funding rounds participated by global investors. INQ