Elon Musk SpaceX Expands Satellite Service to Mongolia

Mongolia has approved two licenses for Elon Musk’s SpaceX to expand its satellite internet network into the region.

Approved by the nation’s Communications Regulatory Commission, SpaceX’s Starlink service will be rolled out in Mongolia to provide low-orbit satellite internet to “millions” of internet users.

The news comes as part of Mongolia’s wider Vision 50 digitization push, as it works to expand internet access in remote areas and accelerate the uptake of new technologies. According to the World Bank, 84% of Mongolians were connected to the internet in 2021, a significant increase from 12% in 2011. 

The government’s Vision 50 website describes the mission; “by 2050 Mongolia shall become a leading Asian country in terms of its social development, economic growth and its citizens’ quality of life.”

Starlink currently has a network of 3,500 low-orbit satellites providing internet access to a reported 1.5 million customers.

"A network of fiber-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 Uchral Nyam-Osor, Mongolia’s minister for digital development and communications. "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."

Collaboration between SpaceX and Mongolia was first put forwardin June, during a virtual meeting between Musk and Prime Minister Oyun-Erdene Luvsannamsrai. In this call, the pair spoke not only about establishing Starlink in the area but also rolling out electric vehicles, using Musk’s technology and Mongolia’s abundance of rare earth minerals.