Vietnam approves Starlink service in 5-year pilot plan

Elon Musk's tech company can provide up to 600,000 subscriptions nationwide

On a clear moonlit evening, SpaceX's Falcon 9 launched Starlink 12-21 internet satellites, in Florida on March 12. Starlink is slated to serve up to 600,000 accounts in Vietnam after a pilot project was agreed to with the government. © AP

MAI NGUYEN

March 26, 2025 18:11 JST

HANOI -- The Vietnamese government has given the green light for U.S. billionaire Elon Musk's SpaceX to launch its Starlink satellite internet service in a five-year pilot program, it said on Wednesday.

Starlink can provide its service to a maximum of 600,000 subscriptions in Vietnam, and the pilot program must end before Jan. 1, 2031, the government said in a statement on its website.