Frontliners register residents for COVID-19 vaccination in Sabah with the support of MEASAT's CONNECTme NOW satellite internet service. Photo credit: Courtesy of MEASAT
Malaysian satellite operator MEASAT is proposing to provide internet service in Tawi-Tawi, particularly in the municipalities of Taganak Island (Turtle Island) and Bongao, according to the Mindanao Development Authority (MinDA).
Located in the Sulu Archipelago, Tawi-Tawi is the southernmost province of the Philippines and located in one of the least developed regions in the country. Improving internet access in this resource-rich province will help unlock its economic potential.
In a Facebook post, MinDa said Kenneth Yong, MEASAT senior director ConnectMeNow Broadband Business, and Ganendra Servayaj, MEASAT corporate commercial officer, presented the proposal to MinDA Chairperson Maria Belen Acosta during their visit in Davao City. Acosta acknowledged the proposed project as this aligns with MinDa’s objective of improving digital connectivity in the countryside.
The push for digitalization is a priority agenda under the current administration to ensure resilient and sustainable recovery from the pandemic.
Last year, the National Telecommunications Commission approved the registration of SpaceX subsidiary Starlink Internet Services Philippines, Inc. as a value-added service provider, allowing the Elon Musk-backed company to provide internet access across the country, including rural areas without internet access.
Welcome news for BIMP-EAGA
Interest from these companies to provide internet in the country’s rural areas is a welcome development for BIMP-EAGA, which covers Mindanao, as it targets 100% broadband coverage in the subregion by 2025. Digital connectivity is among BIMP-EAGA’s development pillars because of its potential to spur trade and investment and empower individuals and societies to contribute better to the digital economy.
MEASAT also serves Malaysia’s remote areas, including villages and communities in Sabah and Sarawak, both part of BIMP-EAGA.
MEASAT has invested over $1.8 billion in satellite communications infrastructure over the last 30 years, becoming one of Asia–Pacific’s strongest regional satellite operators, according to MinDA.
A media report says MEASAT offers subscribers a pre-paid plan, with no up-front payment required. The company promises download speeds of up to 100 megabits per second (Mbps). A plan starts from 10 ringgit ($2.20) per gigabyte (GB). The rate becomes more affordable if more data is purchased, with a 5GB plan costing just RM40.
Starlink reportedly plans to charge customers $599 for a starter kit that includes an antenna and router. This is on top of a $99 monthly service fee for download speed of 200 Mbps.
Supporting digital transformation
During the recent BIMP-EAGA Summit, leaders said member countries are committed to strengthening the subregion’s digital transformation and preparedness for the Fourth Industrial Revolution and would collaborate to improve ICT infrastructure.
Satellite-based internet is now seen as a viable option to provide connectivity to remote areas across Asia. In 2019, the Asian Development Bank (ADB) and Leading Asia’s Private Infrastructure Fund (LEAP), which is supported by the Japan International Cooperation Agency, provided $50 million for a project to connect island nations in the Asian and the Pacific via satellite internet.
Thanks to the project, the Ateneo de Davao University was able to pilot satellite internet in remote areas in Mindanao in 2021 and was able to demonstrate how the technology could be quickly rolled out. The pilot started in December 2020 and in just 6 months, the project team had already installed satellite antennas in 11 of the 12 target sites. The Ateneo de Davao University worked with Singapore-based broadband satellite operator Kacific Broadband Satellites International Ltd. for the project.
Also in 2021, the Philippine government rolled out a project providing satellite internet to remote communities, including in Tawi-Tawi and Sulu. Through the project, Wi-Fi hotspots were activated in Parang District Hospital and Mindanao State University in Sulu and in Bongao Municipal Town Hall, Tawi-Tawi Provincial Capitol, and Mindanao State University (Tawi-Tawi College of Technology and Oceanography) in Tawi-Tawi.