Cheyenne Suarez

Globe says Starlink 'cell tower in space' pilot test successful

Article (news)

Arthur Fuentes

ABS-CBN News

MANILA – Globe Telecom announced Tuesday it has successfully completed a live pilot of Starlink’s satellite-to-mobile service, which aims to provide connectivity in remote &quot;dead zones&quot; where traditional cell towers cannot reach.The trials, conducted in the provinces of Rizal, Batangas, and Bataan, integrated Starlink’s Low Earth Orbit satellites directly with Globe’s core network. The Ayala-led telco said the technology effectively functions as a &quot;cell tower in space,&quot; allowing standard LTE smartphones to access SMS, voice calls, and data without the need for additional hardware or specialized apps.&quot;This will be our lifeline, especially during disasters and our complementary coverage in areas where terrestrial network is not available,&quot; said Joel Agustin, Senior Vice President for Service Planning and Engineering at Globe.&quot;The service will also address the connectivity requirements of GIDA (Geographically Isolated and Disadvantaged Areas) communities and strengthen coverage across the country’s territorial boundaries,&quot; he added.During the pilot, users in areas with no terrestrial signal successfully performed essential digital tasks, including sending money via the GCash electronic wallet, accessing e-government services, and using messaging apps like Viber and WhatsApp, Globe said. The system is designed to provide coverage even in maritime environments up to 12 nautical miles from the coast.Agustin described the milestone as &quot;another breakthrough service from Globe in partnership with Starlink to serve Filipinos using satellite technology for connectivity.&quot;The company said the successful test marks a critical step toward a full commercial rollout in the disaster-prone archipelago, which frequently sees land-based infrastructure crippled by typhoons. Globe and Starlink, operated by Elon Musk’s SpaceX, now plan to expand testing to include &quot;stress testing&quot; and operational scalability, pending final regulatory approvals.Globe said the partnership aims to bridge the digital divide in the Philippines, where rugged terrain and thousands of islands have historically made nationwide fiber and cellular coverage a significant logistical challenge.

Globe said the successful test marks a critical step toward a full commercial rollout in the country, which frequently sees land-based infrastructure crippled by typhoons.

Globe said the successful test marks a critical step toward a full commercial rollout in the country, which frequently sees land-based infrastructure crippled by typhoons.