Globe taps Starlink for nationwide coverage

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January 17, 2026 | 12:00am

MANILA, Philippines — Globe Telecom Inc. has partnered with Elon Musk’s Starlink to become the country’s first telco to reach 100-percent coverage by subscribing to a satellite service that can beam internet to any capable phone.

Globe yesterday signed a memorandum of agreement with Starlink for the deployment of the trailblazing direct-to-cell (DTC) service in the Philippines.

President Marcos, who was the guest of honor during the signing of the agreement, said the partnership for satellite-powered mobile connectivity is “a huge step” toward a more progressive, connected and equitable Philippines.

“Through the launch of Direct-to-Cell or DTC service – first in Southeast Asia and second in Asia – we made satellite-powered mobile connectivity available in the Philippines,” the President said in his speech at The Globe Tower in Taguig.

“This collaboration is proof of our shared commitment to bringing connectivity to even the farthest communities in our archipelago,” Marcos said.

Globe president and CEO Carl Raymond Cruz said the telco has covered 97 percent of Filipinos using terrestrial assets, particularly cellular towers, most of which are located in urban areas.

With its subscription to Starlink’s DTC, Globe will become capable of providing internet access to the remaining three percent of the population where cell signals are limited. It plans to activate the DTC service by the end of the first quarter.

Globe turned the Philippines into Southeast Asia’s first country and only the second in Asia with access to Starlink’s DTC. The service bridges the digital divide largely in the countryside, where telcos are struggling to install land-based assets on cost and topography issues.

Cruz said the arrival of Starlink’s DTC in the archipelago ensures that there would no longer be dead spots, allowing Filipinos to access digital services anytime, anywhere.

Further, Cruz promised that Globe’s DTC would be offered at an affordable price, understanding that its immediate market would be low-income families in remote areas.

For now, Globe expects to make no profit from the launch of the pioneering DTC, but Cruz sees long-term potential once the service becomes widely-accepted by consumers and cost efficiency improves.