Starlink gets licence to operate in Bangladesh

Highlights:

• Bangladesh now the second country in South Asia to launch Starlink services
• CA Yunus called Elon Musk for rapid Starlink deployment
• Bringing Starlink was a public demand during July protests

The interim government has granted Starlink, a Non-Geostationary Orbit (NGSO) service provider and a subsidiary of Elon Musk's SpaceX, the licence to provide satellite internet services in the country.

Chief Adviser Muhammad Yunus approved the licence today (28 April), the CA's Press Wing said in a statement. 

With this, Bangladesh becomes the second country in South Asia after Sri Lanka to launch Starlink services.

On 25 March, the Bangladesh Telecommunication Regulatory Commission (BTRC) issued the "Non-Geostationary Orbit (NGSO) Satellite Services Operator in Bangladesh" licensing guidelines. 

Under this framework, Starlink Services Bangladesh, in the first week of this month, applied for the NGSO licence, submitting the required documents and fees for obtaining the operational permission. 

Later, on 21 April, the BTRC's 294th commission meeting, in principle, decided to give the initial approval for the Starlink operation.

According to a ministry source, the telecom regulator then sent a letter to the Posts and Telecommunications Division last week seeking final endorsement as, under the telecommunications law, the BTRC is required to obtain prior approval from the ministry before making major decisions, including the issuance of licences, reports UNB.

On the matter, Special Assistant to the Chief Adviser for Posts, Telecommunications, and Information Technology Faiz Ahmad Taiyeb, in the statement, said bringing Starlink to Bangladesh had become a popular demand during the July uprising, when the autocrat Sheikh Hasina's government repeatedly shut down internet services.

Moreover, the chief adviser also wanted to send a strong message that Bangladesh is becoming more investment-friendly, he added.

"One of the primary goals (of bringing Starlink) is to ensure uninterrupted, high-quality internet services in hard-to-reach regions such as haor areas, islands, remote hilly regions, and disaster-prone coastal zones where fiber-optic connectivity is still absent," Taiyeb said.

He also mentioned that the chief adviser personally called SpaceX CEO Elon Musk and urged him to begin Starlink operations in Bangladesh within 90 days. 

"Bida, BTRC, the Ministry of Posts, Telecommunications and Information Technology, and the Chief Adviser Office have since worked closely to make this possible," the special assistant to the chief adviser said.

Regarding the advantages of Starlink's services, Taiyeb explained that Starlink will provide uninterrupted high-speed internet, unaffected by load shedding, unlike traditional ISPs or mobile networks where power outages often cause disruptions. 

Even during prolonged blackouts, when mobile tower batteries fail, Starlink's satellite-based service will remain operational, he added.

Taiyeb further stated, "Around 65% of telecom towers are still not connected to fiber and rely on limited-capacity microwave links. Moreover, the mobile network coverage and capacity, especially along highways, remain problematic. Starlink's services are expected to address these critical gaps."

He emphasised that Starlink's entry will make Bangladesh's mobile and broadband markets more competitive, shifting the market away from traditional voice and data bundle models toward a digital service-centric ecosystem.

"With Starlink's services, we expect the beginning of a new era of deregulation in the communications industry, increased competition, and guaranteed access to uninterrupted, high-speed internet in both urban and rural areas," he added.