Manila mayor Isko Moreno taps into Elon Musk’s Starlink to improve internet speeds in the country!


One step closer to getting satellite internet access!

Current city of Manila mayor and presidential aspirant Isko Moreno said that Manila City has gotten approval from SpaceX to negotiate plans for the Starlink satellite internet service. Satellite internet is theoretically faster than wireless fiber connections and could cover a larger array of areas, although since it’s new, it’s far more expensive than the latter. Starlink uses low-orbit satellites so that anyone can access the internet almost anywhere.

This was the effect of Manila City Council Resolution #46, where the Manila mayor is hereby authorized to “negotiate and/or enter a contract with SpaceX Enterprise for the use of Starlink, the world’s most advanced broadband internet system in the City of Manila”.

For those who are unaware, during the Russian invasion of Ukraine that’s still occurring to this day, Musk has brought Starlink into Ukraine in the hopes that it will help Ukrainians contact their loved ones as well as provide communications. So far, it has been successful, and Moreno has noted that.

“Hopefully, may awa ang Diyos, puwede tayong gumamit ng Starlink sa buong bansa pag tayo naging pangulo sa Mayo,” (TL: Hopefully, God has mercy [that] we are able to use Starlink nationwide when I become the president this May); Moreno said in a statement.

The Manila mayor has also cited notable benefits of Satellite internet for Filipinos. The most notable is that it will be useful when natural disasters strike. As Satellites are located outside of earth’s atmosphere, it is virtually immune to destruction and signal loss, unlike regular cell towers. This means that one can use Wi-Fi even if there’s no signal around, making it easier to contact anyone who needs to be contacted.

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Another benefit that he can see is the use of it in a classroom setting. Wala nang dead spots, wala nang mabagal na signal o no signal which affects the online learning process of students,” (TL: No more dead spots, no more dead or slow signals which affect the online learning process of students) Moreno added.

Source: GMA News