‘Agila’ satellite launch set in December

The first MicroGEO satellite to serve the country’s far-flung areas, named by its maker, “Agila” is set to be launched this December. Once it’s off the ground, faster Internet connectivity will be enabled and made more reliable for residents and government agencies in the country.

“The launch will happen in the United States and this will be the first satellite dedicated to the Philippines, unlike other satellites that are devoted to continents serving more than 60 countries. This satellite will only serve the Philippines,” the co-founder of Asia Pacific Astranis Space Technologies Corp., Engineer and Atty. Augusto Baculio told reporters on the sidelines of the Philippine Business Conference last month.

Subic command center

Baculio said they have established a command center in Subic, stating that the satellite “will serve not only residents but also government agencies such as the Department of National Defense, the Commission on Elections, as well as ports, airports, police stations and hospitals, among others as we have the footprint.”

He said the satellite has 10,000 sites that can serve 2,000 to 3,000 residents in the poblacions (centers) of Limasawa in Cebu and the outskirts of Bukidnon, noting that the company will be engaged in wholesale and semi-wholesale operations, not in retail.

“Satellite ‘Agila’ will be operational on 14 February 2025 as it will travel from the United States to the Philippines for a month or two. The second one will be operational in the fourth quarter of next year, and the third one is still being scheduled. The first two satellites can serve 20 million Filipinos,” he said.

Astranis-Orbits partnerships

To recall, the Philippine government in November 2023 secured the first satellite solely dedicated to the country after Astranis, the world’s leading operator of dedicated communications satellites, announced its partnership with Orbits Corp, a satellite services provider and the sister company of a local Philippine ISP, HTechCorp, which has over 20 years of experience in providing internet services to the country’s over 7,000 islands.

The partnership was sealed at the Ritz-Carlton Hotel in New York during the state visit of President Ferdinand Marcos Jr. to the United States last year.

Through the partnership, Orbits and Astranis will deploy the first two internet satellites dedicated to the Philippines, a project expected to generate $400 million in investment over the next eight years.

These MicroGEO satellites are seen to provide internet service in the unserved and underserved areas of the Philippines, covering up to 10 million users and 30,000 barangays.

Jobs generation

Moreover, the program is projected to create more than 10,000 jobs for direct and indirect employees and partners.

During the event, Philippine Ambassador to the US Jose Manuel Romualdez announced the official name of the first satellite as “Agila” to foster the spirit of technological advancements and strengthen international partnerships.

The selection of the name “Agila” holds deep significance embodying the project’s unwavering commitment to connecting and empowering the Philippines through the expansion of access to the digital world.