Starlink rollout reaches two island areas in Hai Phong

Hai Phong has begun providing satellite internet to the special administrative areas of Cat Hai and Bach Long Vi in northern Vietnam. The initial phase allocated six Starlink terminals to Cat Hai and four to Bach Long Vi, according to Nguyen Cao Thang, who heads the city’s Department of Science and Technology.

Thang told Tuoi Tre that his department coordinated the equipment handover with partners including FPT International Telecom Co. Ltd. and Starlink Services Vietnam Co. Ltd. Elon Musk also shared a report about the partnership on X, highlighting Starlink’s ability to connect remote locations.

The Cat Hai equipment serves the People’s Committee headquarters, two ferry terminals and three stations. Connectivity requirements guided the choice of sites, including coastal locations where ground-based telecoms infrastructure is limited. Acceptance checks covered signal strength, access speeds and the stability of connections.

Local authorities intend the service to preserve communications if conventional networks stop working during storms or natural disasters. They also expect it to assist rescue work and emergency operations, alongside tourism and marine economic activities.

The pilot gives authorities an opportunity to evaluate costs, reliability and connection quality, as well as uses in administration and socioeconomic development. The department said assessments should also address compatibility with existing infrastructure, data protection and information security.