Elon Musk's SpaceX to launch satellite internet service in Mongolia

BEIJING (Reuters) -Mongolia has granted two licences for Elon Musk's SpaceX to operate as an internet service provider using low-orbit satellites, the government said on Friday.

Millions of internet users in Mongolia will be able to access high-speed connection via Starlink, the satellite communications service operated by SpaceX, the government said in a statement.

Starlink has built a fast-growing network of more than 3,500 satellites in low-Earth orbit that can provide connectivity in remote areas.

"A network of fibre optic cables already provides wide-reaching access to high-speed internet across Mongolia but this technology will provide greater access to hard-to-reach areas," said Minister for Digital Development and Communications Uchral Nyam-Osor.

"Herders, farmers, businesses and miners living and working across our vast country will be able to access and use information from all over the world to improve their lives."

Formal cooperation between the Mongolian government and SpaceX was initiated in February during the 2023 Mobile World Congress in Barcelona.

Last month, Prime Minister L. Oyun-Erdene held a virtual meeting with Musk, chief executive of Tesla, in which they discussed possible investment and cooperation in the electric vehicle sector.

Resource-rich Mongolia has extensive deposits of rare earth minerals and copper, which are critical materials in the electric vehicle supply chain.

(Reporting by Ryan Woo; Editing by Jacqueline Wong)