Globe Telecom announced it has signed an MOU to partner with LEO satellite operator Starlink to resell its Direct to Cell (D2C) satellite service in the Philippines, making it the first operator in the country (and in Southeast Asia) to do so.
Globe said in a stock exchange filing that the D2C service – which works with standard LTE handsets – will address mobile coverage gaps across geographically isolated and disadvantaged areas (GIDAs), benefiting underserved communities and the remaining 4% of the Filipino population who live in areas with no terrestrial coverage.
Globe said the service will enable users in such areas to access digital government services through the eGov App, as well as provide a resilient lifeline during natural disasters for affected individuals and first responders.
“Connectivity is no longer a privilege—it is a lifeline and a modern-day utility that fuels individual opportunity and national economic progress,” said Globe president and CEO Carl Cruz in a statement. “By extending mobile reach through satellite technology, we are ensuring that every Filipino, whether in bustling cities or in the most remote barangays, has access to essential communication.”
According to local newspaper Inquirer, Cruz said the Starlink D2C service will be made commercially available within the first quarter of this year. He also said that while pricing for the service was still be worked out, it would be “inclusive” and cheaper than traditional satellite phone services.
Globe has been playing the field with direct-to-device (D2D) satellite offerings for the last few years. The telco has been trialling Lynk Global’s D2D service since October 2024, and has been collaborating with AST Spacemobile under an MoU signed in 2022.
Rival telco Smart Communications also been collaborating with Lynk and AST Spacemobile. Smart’s parent company PLDT signed a deal to resell Starlink’s LEO satellite broadband service to businesses in the Philippines in August 2025.
