THE Philippines has an opportunity to boost its Internet connectivity by attracting the right players such as American tech juggernaut Space Exploration Technology (SpaceX), according to one of the country’s legislators.
In a video conference, Sen. Grace Poe said the country has to develop the right policies to attract investors such as SpaceX to come into the country. “There are certain issues that need to be addressed such as the ownership provision of companies operating in the public utility sector,” Poe said.
Right now, the 1987 Constitution limits foreign ownership on such industries to 40 percent.
“In order to associate ourselves with an innovative company such Elon Musk’s SpaceX, we have to offer the right incentives to them,” Poe pointed out.
Poe initiated a measure to revise the 81-year-old Public Service Act to open up the economic environment, ensure more investments and generate more employment.
Poe, chairman of the Senate committee on public services, added the proposed amendments aim to put clarity in the definition of a public utility and public services. “We don’t need to hostage the Constitution regarding this issue,” she pointed.
Meanwhile, Sen. Aquilino Pimentel III disclosed that he and his legislative staff held a virtual meeting with SpaceX Vice President Patrica Cooper to discuss the possibility of deploying its Starlink satellite Internet project in the country. SpaceX is an affiliate of California-based Tesla Group.
The Starlink satellite Internet project is an interconnected network of around 12,000 satellites beaming high-speed Internet to any place on earth. Since then, Starlink has deployed 955 Starlink satellites in orbit and will begin commercial services this year.
Last week, Sen. Aquilino Pimentel III and his legislative staff met virtually with SpaceX Vice President Patricia Cooper to discuss the possibility of Starllink system coverage of the Philippines by the third quarter of 2021.
Pimentel, also the chairman of the Senate Committee on Foreign Relations, assured SpaceX that the government will ensure that the constitutional and legal requirements will enable a smooth working engagement between the government and SpaceX.
Meanwhile, Cooper vowed that Starlink would definitely provide timely, value-added broadband platform to connect Filipino communities, businesses, and consumers. Furthermore, Pimentel pointed out that the Philippines will gain tremendous benefits from Starlink’s low-latency Internet which can boost the government’s capability in effective contact tracing and quarantine monitoring; improved and accessible government services; enhanced security; online education and remote learning; and emergency and disaster preparedness.
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