Globe Telecom Inc. is taking its Starlink Mobile service outside the Philippines for the first time, beginning with Japan under a partnership with Tokyo-based operator KDDI. Globe subscribers can use the direct-to-device satellite service while in Japan, and KDDI customers will get the same access when they visit the Philippines.
The international launch comes three months after Globe began selling Starlink Mobile at home. The company has pitched the service as a way to reach the roughly 4 percent of Filipinos who still live outside the reach of land-based mobile networks. Domestically, Starlink Mobile costs P99 for 30 days or P299 for 90 days. That local service uses the same technology as the Japan offering, linking ordinary handsets directly to satellites rather than to ground-based towers.
Travelers will need a roaming plan that bundles Starlink Mobile access. The GoRoam Japan package starts at P400 for seven days and includes 2 gigabytes of all-access data, 1 gigabyte of satellite data, and 50 satellite text messages to any network. The service works only on compatible LTE or 5G phones running Android or Harmony, and users need a clear view of the sky. Phones connect straight to Starlink’s satellites in low Earth orbit, which act much like cell towers overhead.
Eric Tanbauco, who heads Globe’s consumer mobile business, said the company sees itself as an early mover in connectivity. He described the Japan launch as a natural progression, saying that “extending our Starlink journey into international access is the next step.” KDDI expects the tie-up to widen satellite-enabled roaming beyond places covered by conventional mobile networks. Makoto Kadowaki, an executive officer at KDDI, said the company’s goal is to remove cellular dead zones worldwide. “If you can see the sky, you can connect anywhere,” he said.
Japan is the first stop in the service’s international rollout, and the arrangement runs in both directions. Globe users gain satellite coverage while traveling there, while KDDI subscribers visiting the Philippines can use the same Starlink-powered service. In both cases, the same conditions apply as at home: a compatible LTE or 5G phone and an open line of sight to the sky.
