Starlink receives approval from CA to serve in Bangladesh

Chief Adviser Professor Dr Muhammad Yunus today approved US-based Starlink’s internet operation in Bangladesh as a non-geostationary orbit (NGSO) service provider, his office said. “He approved the (Starlink) license on Monday today,” the press wing of chief adviser’s office said in a statement.

It said Bangladesh Telecommunication Regulatory Commission (BTRC) on March 25 issued licensing guidelines for NGSO Satellite Services Operators in Bangladesh in line of which the Starlink applied along with the required fees and documents for obtaining the operational permission.

The commission earlier in principal decided to give the initial approval for the Starlink operation in its 294th meeting on April 21. “Starlink is a new addition to Bangladesh's internet arena. (With CA’s approval) This global satellite internet service provider has launched its journey in Bangladesh, the second country in South Asia after Sri Lanka,” the statement said.

Special Assistant to the Chief Adviser for Posts, Telecommunications, and Information Technology Faiz Ahmad Taiyeb, meanwhile, 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.

He said that the approval carried a strong message that the chief adviser intended Bangladesh is becoming more investment-friendly.

"One of the primary goals (of the Starlink operation) 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 said 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.

Taiyeb said that Starlink would 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.

He said around 65 percent of telecom towers were still not connected to fiber networks and rely on limited-capacity microwave links while the mobile network coverage and capacity, especially along highways, remained problematic.

Taiyeb said Starlink's services were expected to address these critical gaps and its entry would make Bangladesh's mobile and broadband markets more competitive.

“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," Taiyeb said.