Starlink Secures Swift Satellite Signal Sanction in Bangladesh
U.S. tech giant Starlink has received official approval to operate its satellite internet services in Bangladesh, well within the anticipated 90-day timeline. On Monday, Chief Adviser Professor Dr. Muhammad Yunus granted the company its operating license. The announcement was made by Faiz Ahmad Taiyeb, Special Assistant to the Chief Adviser, during a media interaction following a workshop held at the Bangladesh Telecommunication Regulatory Commission (BTRC).
Meanwhile, BTRC Chairman Emdadul Bari expressed optimism that the satellite-based internet service would launch within the next three months. “Now we will ask them (Starlink) to deposit the license fee. Then we will issue the license, and they can launch the service as soon as they are ready. We expect it to happen within three months,” he said.
Notably, during a recent meeting with the Chief Adviser on the sidelines of the Earthna Summit, Lauren Dreyer, Vice President of Global Engagement at SpaceX, indicated that Starlink could begin providing internet service in Bangladesh as early as May. Subsequently, on April 28, the Chief Adviser’s Press Wing confirmed that the license had been approved on Monday.
Earlier, on March 25, the Bangladesh Telecommunication Regulatory Commission issued the “Non-Geostationary Orbit (NGSO) Satellite Services Operator in Bangladesh” licensing guideline to facilitate the launch of satellite-based internet services. In accordance with this guideline, Starlink submitted an application to BTRC, including the applicable fees and necessary documentation. The 294th Commission Meeting, held on April 21, made a policy decision in favor of issuing the license. With this development, Bangladesh becomes the second country in South Asia after Sri Lanka to welcome the global satellite internet service provider.
Faiz Ahmad Taiyeb, Special Assistant to the Chief Adviser for the Ministry of Posts, Telecommunications, and Information Technology, commented on the broader implications of Starlink’s entry. He said, “Bringing Starlink to Bangladesh became a public demand in response to the repeated internet shutdowns by the autocratic Sheikh Hasina government during the July uprising. Alongside, the Chief Adviser intended to signal that Bangladesh is open to investment.”
He added, “Ensuring uninterrupted and high-quality internet service in the haor regions, river islands, remote hill tracts, and disaster-prone coastal areas of Bangladesh presents a serious challenge. Given the demand for rapid deployment of quality internet in areas not yet reached by fiber networks, the Chief Adviser personally called SpaceX CEO Elon Musk and invited Starlink to begin operations in Bangladesh within 90 days. To achieve this, BIDA, BTRC, the Ministry of Posts, Telecommunications and Information Technology, and the Chief Adviser’s Office worked in close coordination.”
He further elaborated, “One of Starlink’s primary services is high-speed uninterrupted internet that remains active even during load-shedding, unlike traditional ISPs. If load-shedding continues for an extended period and mobile tower battery backups run out, mobile internet service is disrupted. This will not be the case with Starlink.”
He continued, “Another issue is the limited coverage of fiber networks in Bangladesh. Moreover, a significant portion of the existing fiber infrastructure is not of telco-grade quality. At least 65% of telecom towers in Bangladesh are still not fiberized and depend on microwave links, which have very limited capacity. Our mobile networks also suffer from insufficient coverage and capacity, especially for highway mobility. Starlink will help overcome these limitations.”
He also stated that Starlink’s arrival would enhance competition in Bangladesh’s mobile and broadband internet market. According to him, “The traditional voice-call and data-bundle-based internet service model will evolve into a more digital service-centric framework. With Starlink’s service, the communication industry will enter a phase of deregulation, competition will increase, and there will be a guarantee of seamless, high-speed, quality internet access across both urban and rural areas.”
