Vietnam has granted a licence to Elon Musk’s Starlink to operate satellite internet services in the country, the government said.
The nation’s radio frequency regulator announced on Saturday that the local unit, Starlink Services Vietnam Co., may initially deploy four gateway stations and up to 600,000 terminal devices. The licence requires Starlink to ensure “no interference with existing radio communication networks”.
The regulator added that the Starlink system would help expand satellite internet connectivity, particularly in rural and mountainous areas where service remains limited, despite nearly 80 per cent of Vietnam’s roughly 100 million people already using the internet, according to the Vietnam Internet Network Information Center.
Starlink, owned by Musk’s SpaceX, provides high-speed internet access globally via thousands of low Earth orbit satellites. US-based Starlink did not immediately respond to AFP requests for comment on Sunday, though its website states that services in Vietnam are “coming soon”.
Vietnam and the United States are currently negotiating a trade deal, following Washington’s 20 per cent tariffs on Vietnamese goods last year. The two sides held a sixth round of talks this month but have yet to reach a final agreement.
Vietnam’s top leader, To Lam, is scheduled to travel to the United States this week for a meeting of former President Donald Trump’s “Board of Peace”, sources told AFP. The board, chaired by Trump, was initially intended to oversee Gaza’s rebuilding but reportedly has a wider remit. The first meeting is set for 19 February in Washington. It is unclear whether Lam will also hold trade discussions with Trump, and the Vietnamese government has not confirmed the trip.
Vietnam’s economy recorded 8.0 per cent growth in 2025 despite US tariffs, and Hanoi is targeting double-digit growth in 2026.
