Elon Musk posts on X about satellite internet coming to northern Vietnam's remote islands

Billionaire Elon Musk posted on X on Wednesday that "Starlink brings Internet access to remote places," sharing a report on a partnership between Vietnam's Hai Phong authorities and Starlink to provide satellite internet to remote islands.

The post drew attention as Hai Phong had recently rolled out Low Earth Orbit (LEO) satellite internet services in the special administrative areas of Cat Hai and Bach Long Vi.

10 satellite internet devices deployed on two remote islands

Speaking to Tuoi Tre (Youth) online newspaper on Wednesday, Nguyen Cao Thang, director of Hai Phong’s Department of Science and Technology, confirmed that the department had coordinated with Starlink Services Vietnam Co. Ltd., FPT International Telecom Co. Ltd. and other relevant units to hand over satellite internet equipment to the special administrative areas of Cat Hai and Bach Long Vi.

Thang said the initial phase involved deploying 10 Starlink terminals, with six in Cat Hai and four in Bach Long Vi. The package includes six months of free satellite internet service.

In Cat Hai, the six terminals were installed at the special administrative area's People’s Committee headquarters, Viet Hai and Gia Luan ferry terminals, and the Quai To, Van Ta and Tra Bau stations. 

These locations were selected based on connectivity needs, including coastal areas and ferry terminals where terrestrial telecommunications infrastructure remains limited.

During acceptance testing, the participating units checked the equipment, network connectivity, signal quality, access speeds and connection stability at deployment sites. 

After the handover, Cat Hai is expected to assign management, operation, upkeep and maintenance of the equipment to the Cat Ba Bay Management Board.

According to local authorities, the satellite internet service is intended to help maintain communications when traditional telecommunications infrastructure fails, particularly during storms and natural disasters.

The system is also expected to support emergency response, search and rescue operations, tourism development and the marine economy.

Expanding internet connectivity in hard-to-reach areas

Starlink is a satellite internet service developed by SpaceX that uses a network of Low Earth Orbit satellites to provide internet access. 

The technology can offer an alternative connection in areas where building ground-based telecommunications infrastructure is difficult or provide a backup link when existing networks fail.

The rollout in Cat Hai and Bach Long Vi also serves as a pilot for local authorities to assess connection quality, reliability, costs and the potential use of satellite technology in public administration and socioeconomic development.

Hai Phong's Department of Science and Technology said the adoption of new technology should be accompanied by assessments of its practical effectiveness, compatibility with existing infrastructure, information security and data protection.

The handover of satellite internet equipment to the two island areas makes Hai Phong one of the first localities in Vietnam to sign a partnership with a company to deploy Low Earth Orbit satellite telecommunications services.