The Department of Telecommunications said that two satellite Internet service providers SpaceX and Amazon are both filing applications to provide services in Vietnam.
At the December press conference of the Ministry of Science and Technology on the morning of December 1, Mr. Nguyen Anh Cuong, Deputy Director of the Department of Telecommunications, said that SpaceX, the Starlink service provider, “has nearly reached the final step of applying for a license”. They sent the first application to the Ministry of Science and Technology for appraisal and asked for opinions from relevant ministries. The Department of Telecommunications then sent back to Starlink some points that need to be clarified about the dossier and they are expected to send it back this week.
Deputy Director of the Department of Telecommunications Nguyen Anh Cuong. Image: Doan Manh
Meanwhile, the licensing application for Amazon’s Kuiper service also progressed quickly, after a meeting with the Ministry of Science and Technology in August. The Telecommunications Department and the Frequency Department have developed detailed instructions on the application components that businesses need to provide. By November 24, Amazon had completed the application. “Department of Telecommunications – Ministry of Science and Technology will coordinate with relevant ministries and branches to evaluate and appraise,” said the Deputy Director.
Amazon’s pilot application will need to be decided by the Prime Minister, based on an assessment of ensuring national defense, security and economic development. If the policy is approved, Amazon will carry out procedures for establishing a business, registering investment and applying for a telecommunications license, similar to Starlink.
Previously, Starlink received a pilot license from Deputy Prime Minister Ho Duc Phoc in April, becoming the first enterprise that Vietnam agreed to pilot the service. Last month, SpaceX reached the milestone of more than 10,000 satellites launched, but not all are operational. The American company currently provides Internet services in 125 countries and territories, with 5 million users.
Starlink’s display booth at the Vietnam Innovation Festival. Image: Trong Dat
Meanwhile, Amazon established Amazon Kuiper Vietnam Co., Ltd. in Ho Chi Minh City and submitted an application to participate in the pilot on August 6. During a working session with Deputy Minister Pham Duc Long on August 26, Mr. Gonzalo de Dios, Global Licensing Director of the Kuiper project, expressed his desire to soon provide high-speed satellite Internet services in Vietnam.
Kuiper is building a system of 3,200 low-orbit satellites, providing high-speed, low-latency connectivity and integrating AWS security solutions. By August, the company launched 102 satellites and aims to complete at least 50% of the remaining by 2026. The company plans to deploy satellite Internet services to customers by the end of 2025.
When asked about the level of impact, a representative of the Department of Telecommunications said that satellite Internet supports ground infrastructure, ensures communication in wave-concave areas and is especially useful in natural disaster prevention because it does not depend on ground transmission lines.
“Satellite Internet is an important backup channel when storms and floods occur,” Mr. Cuong said.
According to expert Doan Quang Hoan, Vice President of the Vietnam Radio and Electronics Association, former Director of Radio Frequency Department, satellite Internet can quickly cover the entire wave-shaped area in Vietnam. However, he assesses that the appearance of this service will not have much impact on the domestic telecommunications market, because the proportion of signal depressions is currently very small, mainly in mountainous areas and islands, where there is no electricity grid.