Prepare connection
At a working session with Deputy Prime Minister Nguyen Chi Dung in early April 2025, Minister of Science and Technology Nguyen Manh Hung outlined the ministry's two main tasks this year: increasing mobile internet speed by upgrading and expanding the 5G network and piloting the Starlink satellite internet service.
At this meeting, Mr. Nguyen Thanh Chung, Director of the Department of Telecommunications (Ministry of Science and Technology), said that he is working with SpaceX Corporation to support the enterprise in completing the next steps before it can operate in Vietnam. This includes SpaceX soon establishing a business and installing ground gateway stations in Vietnam. This station is for Starlink satellite internet connection in Vietnam.
Also in April 2025, the Government granted SpaceX Corporation a license to conduct a controlled pilot investment in satellite telecommunications network services using low-orbit satellite technology in Vietnam (Starlink service). This is considered a new step for the broadband internet market in Vietnam.
According to the Government's decision, SpaceX is provided with a conditional pilot service for a period of 5 years and must end before January 1, 2031; the maximum number of subscribers is 600,000, while ensuring defense and security requirements.
The provider must place the gateway station in Vietnam, ensuring that all traffic generated by satellite subscribers in Vietnam passes through the gateway and connects to the domestic public telecommunications network. The service must ensure that information and data of service users in Vietnam are stored in Vietnam; and comply with requirements on preventing the spread of malware, network attacks, and malicious information.
Other activities now suggest that SpaceX’s gateway station could be operational as early as late May or June in Da Nang City. Vietnam could allow billionaire Elon Musk’s satellite internet company to install 10-15 stations across the country.
If the plans are implemented on schedule, in 2025, internet users in Vietnam will soon experience Starlink satellite internet service, which also creates new competitive momentum for network operators to quickly complete their telecommunications infrastructure, bring fiber optic cables to households and promote 5G coverage nationwide.
Support for “no signal” areas
Starlink is a satellite internet project developed by SpaceX since 2019. This system has more than 6,000 low-orbit satellites, providing internet connection to many areas around the world, especially where traditional network infrastructure is limited. SpaceX started providing Starlink service in the US since October 2020. To date, this service is serving nearly 3 million customers in more than 100 countries around the world. The average price that Startlink offers is $99/month (about 2.4 million VND).
According to experts, the deployment of Starlink service is expected to promote digital transformation and narrow the digital gap in Vietnam. However, to achieve high efficiency, there needs to be close cooperation between SpaceX and domestic telecommunications enterprises, along with investment in infrastructure and supply chains because Starlink service is the optimal solution for signal depression areas in remote areas - where 4G, 5G and fiber optic networks cannot reach in Vietnam.
In the immediate future, Starlink may provide high-speed internet in remote areas, islands; places where Vietnamese network operators have difficulty deploying fiber optic and 4G, 5G infrastructure. In these areas, customers can choose Starlink instead of using traditional solutions such as fiber optic, while 4G and 5G mobile services have weak coverage.
A representative of a network operator shared: “Starlink cannot completely replace fiber optic cables or mobile networks because it still has higher latency and depends on weather conditions. Starlink will create a new competitive force for network operators to quickly complete their telecommunications infrastructure, bring fiber optic cables to households and promote 5G coverage nationwide.”
According to statistics from the Department of Telecommunications (Ministry of Science and Technology), Vietnam's mobile network currently covers 99.8% of the population; however, it only covers about 58% of the mainland area; 14.5% of the territory if including the sea area. Along with that, there are currently 17% of Vietnamese households that do not use fiber optic services, many of which are in remote areas.
Up to this point, all three major mobile networks in Vietnam, Viettel, VNPT and MobiFone, have officially provided 5G services. Regarding subscribers, in early March, Viettel said it had 5.5 million 5G network users, while VNPT VinaPhone reached more than 3 million. Meanwhile, MobiFone provided 5G since the end of March and said it reached more than 2.5 million users after 1 month of deployment...
Independent of telecommunication infrastructure
Starlink satellite technology allows homes, businesses, or remote locations to connect to the internet without relying on local telecommunications infrastructure. This offers the potential for widespread and convenient internet connectivity to places that previously lacked access to internet service.
To use this service, Starlink provides a Starlink satellite dish, wifi router, power supply, cable and mounting bracket. Starlink service is assigned to a fixed area on the ground. If you take your Starlink dish to another area, you will not be able to access this service…
Basically, Starlink satellite internet works like this: a user sends a request for internet access, the signal is transmitted from the user's router or device to the nearest satellite in the Starlink network.
The satellite receives the signal, processes it, and forwards it to the next satellite in orbit to transmit the signal to a processing station on the ground. At the processing station, the request and data from the satellite are connected to the main internet network through an internet service provider (ISP). The ISP will receive the access request from the satellite and return the corresponding data.
The data transmission process will be reversed, with data from the ISP being transmitted from the processing station to the satellite, then from the satellite to the user's satellite internet dish. Finally, the data will go through the router and return the data to the user's request.
Only effective when building many satellites and putting them into global operation
Starlink satellite internet uses low-earth orbit (LEO) satellites that fly 600-2,000km above the earth's surface. This is a satellite system that the US and many countries such as China, India, and the European Union are focusing on developing to solve the problem of high-speed, low-latency internet bandwidth that is independent of the ground.
In Vietnam, VNPT currently owns and operates two telecommunications satellites under the Vinasat program, both in geostationary Earth Orbit (GEO) at an altitude of about 36,000km. Vinasat-1 was launched in 2008, with a design life of 2028. Vinasat-2 was launched in 2012 and is still operating normally. This is a satellite that provides traditional telecommunications services, with limited bandwidth; only used to cover television, basic telephone signals and medium-speed internet.
According to the plan, in 2025, Vietnam will launch the LOTUSat-1 satellite under the project "Prevention of natural disasters and climate change using Earth observation satellites", this project is implemented by the Vietnam Space Center in coordination with the Japanese side. Associate Professor, Dr. Pham Anh Tuan, General Director of the Vietnam Space Center (Vietnam Academy of Science and Technology) said that Vietnam can also master this technology, but it will only be effective when many satellites are manufactured and put into global exploitation.
A system like Starlink requires thousands of low-orbit satellites. Vietnam does not have its own rockets and must lease them, so it will depend on them and increase the investment cost. In other words, it will take a huge investment to develop such a satellite system.
Source: https://www.sggp.org.vn/sap-duoc-dung-internet-ve-tinh-starlink-tai-viet-nam-post795269.html
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