Elon Musk’s Starlink gets approval to operate in Bangladesh

Starlink Services Bangladesh Limited has been granted the go-ahead to begin operations in the country, with two licences issued by the Bangladesh Telecommunication Regulatory Commission (BTRC).

The approval comes after Muhammad Yunus, chief advisor in the interim government, signed the final authorisation on Monday.

With this regulatory approval, Bangladesh becomes the second country in South Asia — after Sri Lanka — to greenlight Starlink’s services, signaling growing regional interest in satellite-based connectivity.

The licences were handed over on Tuesday at the BTRC headquarters in Agargaon, Dhaka, according to a statement released by the commission.

Starlink, a satellite internet service developed by SpaceX and backed by Elon Musk, can now move forward with its plans to offer commercial internet services in Bangladesh.

The regulatory body granted Starlink two distinct 10-year licenses: one for operating non-geostationary satellite orbit systems and another for radio communication equipment. The first license, approved by the BTRC’s licensing division, enables Starlink to provide internet services commercially. The second, from the spectrum management department, authorises the company to import and utilise specific radio equipment and frequencies necessary for delivering its internet services.

Earlier this month, Lauren Dreyer, SpaceX’s Vice President of Global Engagement, announced that Starlink’s technical team is gearing up to launch its satellite internet service in Bangladesh by May.

“We’re nearing the final stages. I’ve instructed the team to be fully prepared for a technical rollout by May,” Dreyer said during a recent summit.

Faiz Ahmad Taiyeb, Special Assistant to the Chief Adviser for Posts, Telecommunications, and Information Technology, highlighted that the decision to bring Starlink to Bangladesh was driven by public demand—especially in the aftermath of internet disruptions during the July 2024 unrest.

While traditional internet service providers and mobile networks often face outages during extended power cuts due to drained tower batteries, Starlink’s satellite technology offers a more resilient alternative. Its ability to function independently of local electricity infrastructure makes it particularly valuable in regions vulnerable to natural disasters and frequent load shedding.

Source: Telegraph India
--Agencies