Internet & Social
Starlink starts taking orders in Vietnam
Starlink is accepting Vietnam orders under a 600,000-subscriber pilot, with reported consumer prices ranging from $43 to $65 per month.
SpaceX’s Starlink has started accepting orders in Vietnam, making the country the service’s sixth Southeast Asian market, according to The Next Web and iXBT. Orders are available through starlink.com.vn.
The outlets report different prices for the consumer service. The Next Web lists a monthly subscription at VND1.71 million (about $65), a Standard 4X hardware kit at VND10.27 million (about $390), roughly $22 shipping, and a refundable $70 deposit applied to the equipment purchase. iXBT reports a lower entry plan starting at VND1.13 million ($43) per month, plus VND8.66 million for equipment. The minimum monthly fee for business customers is VND1.48 million, according to iXBT.
Based on The Next Web’s figures, the first-year cost comes to about VND31.4 million, or $1,190. That is approximately 12% above the reported global average of $1,061, but below Malaysia’s roughly $909, the Philippines' $1,045 and Indonesia’s approximately $1,491 annual cost. Starlink advertises download speeds of 135–305 Mbps and upload speeds of 20–40 Mbps, while warning that performance depends on location, network congestion and weather.
Vietnam’s rollout is aimed primarily at places where fixed broadband is unavailable or unreliable, including rural communities, remote islands, fishing vessels, farms and construction sites. Urban households with fibre connections are less likely to be the target market.
Vietnam’s five-year Starlink pilot
The service is operating under a Vietnamese pilot programme running through January 1, 2031, with the number of subscribers capped at 600,000. Vietnam allows SpaceX to retain 100% local ownership, but requires customers to use officially distributed equipment and has warned that imported dishes could lead to fines or confiscation.
The Vietnamese government first announced the test programme in March 2025, removing foreign-ownership restrictions for Starlink. SpaceX’s local subsidiary, Starlink Services Vietnam, was established in September 2025 with registered capital of VND30 billion (about $1.1 million). Vietnam has also authorised four Starlink ground stations, iXBT reports.
The pricing discrepancy between the two reports means prospective customers will need to confirm the applicable plan and equipment bundle before ordering. What is clear is that Vietnam has opened Starlink under a tightly limited framework: SpaceX gains access to a large new market, while Hanoi retains control over hardware, subscriber numbers and local visibility.