The owner of a tourism vessel in Cat Ba, a popular tourism island in northern Vietnam, was recently given an administrative fine of VND70 million ($2,658) for illegally providing Starlink satellite Internet service to tourists.

The Authority of Radio Frequency Management, under the Ministry of Science and Technology, announced the information on Thursday. The device for the Internet service was not approved in Vietnam, the authority clarified. The authority is tracking the origin of the device for further processing, the ministry added.

Starlink Services Vietnam, the entity of Starlink in Vietnam, was granted a license for Internet service in Vietnam in February 2026. The Ministry of Science and Technology is tasked with approving satellite Internet service in Vietnam within this year, according to the Government’s steering committee on science-technology development, innovation, and digitalization.

In the initial phase, Starlink service in Vietnam features four gateways and no more than 600,000 terminal equipment sets. The 600,000 figure is a fraction of Vietnam’s current Internet service market with about 25 million users. The four gateways are located in the central coastal city of Danang, the southern economic hub of Ho Chi Minh City, and the northern industrial province of Phu Tho.

Starlink‘s satellite Internet services will be available in Vietnam at $85 per month, in addition to $350 for the terminal equipment, according to the Vietnam Telecommunications Authority, under the Ministry of Science and Technology.

SpaceX’s Starlink offers Internet service in Vietnam at $85 per month, above peers’ prices