Manila mayor and presidential candidate Francisco “Isko” Moreno said he received authorization from the Manila City council to enter into a contract with American billionaire Elon Musk’s company to avail of Starlink low-orbit satellite to improve internet connection service for the city.
Under City Council Resolution No. 46, Moreno is authorized “to negotiate and/or enter into a contract with SpaceX Enterprise for the use of Starlink, the world’s most advance broadband internet system in the City of Manila.”
“I hope we can avail of Starlink low-orbit satellite soonest. The best success story is in Ukraine when Elon Musk deployed a number of satellites in that country after its internet connectivity was destroyed by Russian forces,” Moreno said in a statement.
“Hopefully, may awa ang Diyos, puwede tayong gumamit ng Starlink sa buong bansa pag tayo naging pangulo sa Mayo,” he added.
The satellite will be helpful in disaster preparedness because it can still transmit signals amid disasters.
“Hindi naman lingid sa atin na maraming kalamidad sa Pilipinas lalu na ang malalakas na bagyo at lindol. At kadalasan nasisira ay ang linya ng komunikasyon … walang ng telepono, wala pang internet,” he said.
The presidential aspirant added that Starlink’s high-speed broadband services will also help public school students.
“Wala nang dead spots, wala nang mabagal na signal o no signal which affects the online learning process of students,” he said. Ronald Espartinez