Banglalink gets nod to launch Starlink-powered satellite service to connect phones in remote areas

People living outside mobile networks may soon be able to send messages and access limited mobile data.

Bangladesh is set to introduce Direct-to-Cell (D2C) connectivity, a technology that allows compatible mobile phones to connect directly to satellites when terrestrial mobile networks are unavailable.

The service will initially provide SMS and light-data connectivity, with scope to expand to voice and broader data services later.

The government has given Banglalink approval to launch the country's first commercial D2C service in partnership with Starlink, officials told The Business Standard.

The development could be particularly important for communities in areas where building and maintaining mobile towers is difficult, costly or commercially unviable, and during emergencies when towers, fibre links or electricity infrastructure are damaged.

"We just got the licence yesterday (Wednesday) and plan to launch soon," Taimur Rahman, chief corporate and regulatory affairs officer of Banglalink, told TBS.

Banglalink's move follows a two-month proof-of-concept trial conducted in areas including Bandarban and Sandwip. The company demonstrated SMS, OTT-based messaging and OTT voice calling to officials from the Bangladesh Telecommunication Regulatory Commission (BTRC), the Posts and Telecommunications Division and relevant security agencies.

The BTRC had earlier approved Banglalink's proposal at a meeting on 9 September and forwarded it to the ministry for final approval, according to officials.

Brig Gen (retd) Iqbal Ahmed, commissioner of the BTRC's Engineering and Operations Division, described the development as a milestone for Bangladesh's telecom sector.

"We got an application for territorial network service and approved one primarily to provide SMS and internet service from remote areas after sanctioning," he told TBS.

He said Starlink had also applied to provide a similar service directly, but the commission did not approve that proposal. We want to fulfil our country's interest and local operator business.

Banglalink officials said the first phase will focus on SMS and light data, rather than the high-speed mobile broadband users receive through 4G or 5G networks.

The service will also require a compatible handset and a suitable satellite connection. A clear view of the sky can be important for satellite connectivity, meaning the service may not work equally well in every physical environment.

Voice and wider data services may be introduced later, subject to technical capability and regulatory approval.

Help for fishermen, islanders and disaster-hit communities
For people living or working beyond the reach of terrestrial networks, the initial service could have practical public-safety benefits.

Fishermen, vessel crews and other maritime workers operating in parts of the Bay of Bengal could potentially maintain basic communication when they move beyond the range of coastal mobile towers.

Similarly, residents of remote chars, islands and hill areas could have a communication option where building a conventional mobile site is technically difficult or commercially challenging.

The technology could become particularly useful during emergencies.

When a cyclone, flood or other disaster damages mobile towers, fibre-optic links or electricity infrastructure, D2C could provide an alternative route for basic communication, provided the satellite service is available and the handset has a sufficiently clear view of the sky.