Starlink Secures Swift Satellite Service License from BTRC

Within 24 hours of receiving the Principal Advisor’s approval, U.S. tech billionaire Elon Musk’s Starlink has been granted a commercial license to offer satellite-based internet services in Bangladesh. The license was officially handed over on Tuesday afternoon, according to sources from the Bangladesh Telecommunication Regulatory Commission (BTRC).

The BTRC issued the license in favor of Starlink Services Bangladesh Ltd. for the provision of internet services via Non-Geostationary Satellite Orbit (NGSO) systems. The license has been granted for a period of 10 years.

At the BTRC headquarters in Agargaon, Dhaka, two separate licenses were handed over to the company — the Non-Geostationary Satellite Orbit Operator License and the Radio Communication Apparatus License.

The first license was issued by BTRC’s Licensing Division, allowing Starlink to commercially operate in the country, while the second was issued by the Spectrum Division, permitting the import and use of radio communication devices and necessary equipment for delivering internet services.

Lieutenant Colonel Syed Md. Toufiq-ul Islam, Director of the Licensing Division, handed over the NGSO license to Rebecca Slick Hunter, Director of Global Licensing and Market Aviation at Starlink. The event was attended by Ashish Kumar Kundu, Director General of the Legal and Licensing Division, and Deputy Director Md. Nahidul Hasan.

The Spectrum license was presented by Dr. Md. Sohel Rana, Director of the Spectrum Division, to Rebecca Slick Hunter in the presence of Brigadier General Md. Aminul Haque, Director General of the Spectrum Division, and Senior Assistant Director Muhammad Zakaria Bhuiyan.

Earlier, on March 29 of this year, Starlink received initial approval from the Bangladesh Investment Development Authority (BIDA) to begin operations in the country. Subsequently, on March 31, the company applied to BTRC for the relevant licenses. The BTRC’s approval now paves the way for Starlink to launch its services commercially in Bangladesh.

On April 9, a live demonstration of Starlink’s internet service was conducted by Bangladesh Satellite Company.

Notably, on March 25, the BTRC published the NGSO Satellite Services Operator in Bangladesh Licensing Guidelines, outlining the regulatory framework for satellite-based internet services. On the same day, Principal Advisor Muhammad Yunus instructed authorities to ensure Starlink begins commercial operations within 90 days.

At its 294th Commission Meeting on April 21, the BTRC made a policy decision to issue the requested licenses to Starlink.

According to the NGSO policy, the application and processing fee is BDT 500,000, the license fee is USD 10,000, and the annual fee is USD 30,000. Additionally, there is a yearly station or terminal fee of USD 1 per device — except for terminals used exclusively for IoT services, which are exempt.

Starlink began deploying satellites into orbit five years ago to deliver global high-speed internet. Due to its high-speed capabilities, the service is especially effective in remote, mountainous, or deep-sea regions, enabling uninterrupted gaming, streaming, and fast downloads.

Analysts note that the draft licensing guidelines for satellite internet operators include provisions for surveillance and monitoring. If these provisions remain unchanged, the government will retain its current level of oversight over internet services.

Meanwhile, fiber optic and cable-based Internet Service Providers (ISPs) have expressed that the specific terms and conditions of such satellite internet licenses will ultimately determine the impact on Bangladesh’s existing internet service market.