Globe lights up satellite service for mobile phones

Links up with Starlink

MANILA, Philippines — Globe Telecom Inc. has launched its satellite-to-mobile service to the public, offering subscribers connectivity access even in areas without terrestrial coverage.

Globe yesterday said it has received regulatory approval to offer satellite-to-mobile connectivity, allowing it to cover the remaining three percent of the population where terrestrial networks are hard to build.

The technology, developed by Starlink, serves as network support providing light-data capability and text messaging to consumers when they go to areas without cellular towers.

The National Telecommunications Commission (NTC) granted Globe the authority to roll out the service commercially in the hope of bridging the digital divide in the countryside. The NTC also sees the effort helping the government in times of emergency response.

Globe president and CEO Carl Raymond Cruz said the telco wants to expand digital accessibility by bringing in satellite-to-mobile connectivity. The provider also plans to deploy the solution for disaster response, especially when terrestrial assets are damaged and shut.

“Given the NTC’s approval for commercial launch, Globe can now extend its reach beyond our traditional towers, ensuring that even in the most remote or disaster-stricken areas, Filipinos will remain connected,” Cruz said.

To access the satellite-to-mobile service, consumers have to subscribe to a Globe-Starlink promo that starts at P99 for prepaid users and is offered free to postpaid customers.

At present, compatibility differs by manufacturer and model, but it is required that the phone has LTE capability to connect to a satellite.

Further, subscribers must have a clear view of the sky for their phone to find satellite connection. The service supports access mainly to chat and navigation apps, including text messaging.

Recently, Globe has activated its satellite-to-mobile service in provinces hit by the magnitude 7.9 earthquake. The technology supported disaster response, giving out emergency communications to more than 150,000 customers in Mindanao.

In January, Globe signed a memorandum of agreement with Starlink to bring satellite-to-mobile technology into the Philippines, the first in Southeast Asia to have it.

The solution connects phones to low earth orbit satellites owned by Starlink, beaming bandwidth to anywhere in the archipelago, including in isolated towns.