Vietnam has taken a key step in its digital connectivity strategy by officially authorizing the deployment of the Starlink satellite internet service within its territory. With this decision, the Asian country positions itself at the forefront of adopting low-orbit satellite networksa model that is already being closely watched since Europe and Spain as a possible complement to traditional land-based infrastructure.
Vietnamese authorities have granted Starlink Services Vietnam Co., Ltd. a battery of licenses covering everything from the provision of telecommunications services to the use of radio frequencies and transmission equipmentAlthough a specific date for the commercial start of the service has not yet been set, the regulatory framework necessary to operate in the pilot phase is already in place and has been designed to closely monitor both the technical and economic impact.
What exactly has Vietnam authorized Starlink to do?
According to information published by various Vietnamese state media outlets, the Ministry of Science and Technology, through its specialized departments, has granted Starlink a license to offer fixed and mobile satellite internet services nationwide. This is not limited to simply providing access to end users; it also includes the green light to deploy the necessary infrastructure on the ground.
In parallel, the Radiofrequency Department has issued a specific license for the use of frequency bands and radio equipmentThis is a particularly sensitive point because it involves a limited and heavily regulated national resource. This permit allows Starlink to legally operate its transmission and reception stations within Vietnamese territory, provided that interference and coordination rules with existing networks are respected.
In addition, the Ministry has sent formal notifications to other key bodies, such as the Ministry of Public Security, Ministry of National Defense and the science and technology departments of the provinces. The objective is to coordinate the supervision of the service and ensure that its operation complies with both technical regulations and the requirements of security and defense.
This authorization comes after several months of testing and preliminary procedures. In 2025, the Vietnamese government had already allowed SpaceX to conduct a pilot test of satellite internet servicesmaking Starlink the first foreign company allowed to legally experiment with this technology in the country.
What the initial phase will be like: link stations and up to 600.000 users
The Starlink rollout in Vietnam will not be immediate or massive, but rather has been planned as a controlled pilot programIn this first stage, four link stations will be installed within the country, which will act as main connection nodes between the low-orbit satellite constellation and the terrestrial network.
These facilities will support a maximum of 600.000 terminal devicesThis figure coincides with the subscriber ceiling allowed within the national pilot program. This limit includes both customers who contract directly with the company established by SpaceX in Vietnam and users served by local operators who resell the service.
Authorities have insisted that this first phase will be implemented “systematically and under control”, with special attention to compliance with regulations on the use of the radio spectrumThe licensing process has been designed precisely as a regulatory laboratory: it allows testing low-Earth orbit technologies in a real environment, but with a clear supervisory framework and well-defined limits.
The pilot program will have a maximum duration of five years from the moment Starlink's company in Vietnam obtains its commercial license for telecommunications servicesand in any case must end before January 1, 2031. After that period, the Government may decide whether to expand, modify or limit the operator's presence based on the results.
Within this framework, SpaceX and its Vietnamese subsidiary must assume a series of formal commitments: respecting the subscriber cap, complying with service quality parameters, and ensuring at all times the protection of national defense and security, an aspect that regulators have not overlooked.
The LEO technology behind Starlink and its potential for Europe
Starlink relies on a constellation of satellites Low Earth orbit (LEO)These satellites are located at an altitude of around 550 kilometers, well below classic geostationary satellites, which orbit at about 35.000 kilometers. This difference in altitude has a direct impact on the service: it significantly reduces latency and improves the effective data transmission speed.
LEO systems, such as Starlink, Kuiper (Amazon) OneWeb uses different frequency bands—including Ku, Ka, and E—to offer broadband connections with latencies in the range of 20 to 40 milliseconds and speeds that, depending on the conditions, can range from 50 to 500 Mbps. In practice, this brings the user experience closer to that of a high-quality fixed network, with the advantage of being able to reach areas where deploying fiber or terrestrial radio links is complex or expensive.
By February 2025, Starlink had already surpassed 6.000 operational satellitesThe company has expressed its intention to continue expanding the constellation to reach more than 10.000 satellites in orbit by the end of 2025, although not all will be active simultaneously. Globally, the service is offered in approximately 125 countries and territories, with around 5 million users.
From a European perspective, and particularly for countries like Spain, these types of deployments serve as a testing ground for the design of future regulations. The European Union is working on its own projects to satellite constellations and within regulatory frameworks that integrate these services with existing 5G and fiber networks. Examining how Vietnam manages frequency allocation, interference control, and national security offers valuable lessons for European regulators.
In Spain and other member states, Starlink already operates under EU rules, but the Vietnamese case highlights the challenges countries face when moving from limited trials to a full-scale operation. full integration into the telecommunications ecosystemThis is also a concern for European supervisors in terms of competition, digital sovereignty, and network resilience.
Impact on Vietnamese digital infrastructure and parallels with Europe
Vietnam's telecommunications network has developed primarily from fiber optic infrastructure and 4G/5G base stationsThese networks, operated by major companies such as Viettel, VNPT, and MobiFone, cover a significant portion of the population, offering competitive speeds in major cities and economic areas.
However, the country continues to face significant difficulties in rural areas, mountainous areas and islandswhere the costs of building and maintaining terrestrial infrastructure skyrocket. It is precisely in these environments that regulators see Starlink and other LEO systems as a complementary solution, designed to close the internet access gap without having to deploy large-scale engineering projects.
Vietnamese authorities emphasize that satellite internet will not replace terrestrial networks, but will be integrated as an alternative. another piece of the national digital infrastructure strategyIn practice, the goal is to ensure "comprehensive, inclusive and sustainable" connectivity that is not limited by the country's topography.
This logic is similar to that being debated in the European Union. In countries with hard-to-reach areas—such as extensive rural areas in Spain, Greece, Italy, or the Nordic countries—low-Earth orbit satellite systems are seen as a reinforcement of fiber optic and 5G deployment plans. Brussels insists that the universal broadband coverage It requires combining different technologies, and market movements like the Vietnamese one provide concrete examples of how to do it.
In the case of Vietnam, the government also emphasizes the economic and geopolitical component: the deployment of Starlink is interpreted as a way of attract foreign technology investmentTo strengthen cooperation with the United States and position the country in the global race for next-generation services. All of this, of course, under the premise of maintaining strict control over frequencies and the security of communications.
Relationship with the United States and political framework of the deployment
The authorization for Starlink comes in a context of complex but growing relations between Vietnam and the United StatesThe decision by the Ministry of Science and Technology was announced just before a planned trip by Vietnamese leader To Lam to the United States, where he will participate in a meeting related to a global peace initiative promoted by Washington.
At the same time, both countries are negotiating a business agreement After the United States imposed 20% tariffs on Vietnamese goods, these talks have not yet concluded. However, the move in the technology sector is interpreted as a sign of rapprochement in areas of mutual interest, including advanced telecommunications.
Prime Minister Pham Minh Chinh had previously emphasized the importance of taking advantage of the international cooperation to access cutting-edge technologies and channel new investments into Vietnam. Starlink's entry fits with this strategic approach, in which the country seeks to combine economic development, digital modernization, and a greater presence on the global technology stage.
For European observers, this scenario is reminiscent of current discussions about the need to balancing openness to global suppliers —including US satellite operators— with the EU's own technological sovereignty efforts. In both Vietnam and Europe, the debate revolves around how to leverage foreign investment and innovation without losing decision-making power over critical infrastructure.
In any case, the Vietnamese government has made it clear that the deployment of Starlink will be conditional on strict defense and security requirements, and that the relevant ministries will have the final say on the continuity and expansion of service once the pilot phase is complete.
Starlink as a complement in critical situations and in remote territories
Beyond everyday use, Vietnamese authorities see added value in Starlink as a tool in emergency situationsWhen natural disasters or conflicts damage terrestrial infrastructure —something that is not foreign to Europe either, where fires, floods or earthquakes can leave entire regions without service—, satellite networks become a fast way to restore basic communications.
Vietnamese official documents highlight that satellite internet services, including Starlink, can act as reinforcement of existing fixed and mobile networksThis is especially true in border areas, isolated regions, or islands where maintaining cables and towers is more complex. This complementary approach is also the one advocated by many European regulators when discussing network resilience.
In the specific case of Vietnam, the country aims to integrate these types of services into its national connectivity infrastructureso that geography ceases to be an obstacle to economic and social development. Starlink's entry is therefore conceived as part of a broader digitalization strategy, not as an isolated project.
Once the service is fully operational, Vietnam will become the fifth country in Southeast Asia to have Starlink, after the Philippines, Malaysia, Indonesia, and East Timor. This regional progress is also being followed from Europe, where analysis is underway of how different areas of the world are integrating LEO constellations into their telecommunications ecosystems.
Underlying this is the question of what business model Starlink will adopt in Vietnam: tariffs, subscription options, relationship with local operators, and potential wholesale agreements. For now, the company has not provided details on these aspects, which will be crucial in assessing the service's true impact on competition and end-user prices.
With the official green light given to Starlink satellite internet, Vietnam has become a relevant case study for regulators and operators. Spain and the rest of EuropeThey observe how a rapidly growing country combines controlled testing, openness to foreign investment, and security requirements around critical connectivity infrastructure; the evolution of this pilot, its integration with fiber and 5G networks, and future decisions about its continuation will offer valuable clues about the role LEO constellations can play in global connectivity plans.
