SpaceX’s Starlink has officially been granted a license to operate in Bangladesh, after Chief Adviser Professor Muhammad Yunus signed off on the final approval on Monday. With this decision, Bangladesh becomes the second country in South Asia after Sri Lanka to approve Starlink’s services.
SpaceX Vice President for Global Engagement Lauren Dreyer confirmed at a summit earlier this month Starlink’s technical team is preparing to launch the satellite internet service in May.
“We’re very close to the finish line. I’ve asked my team to be fully ready for a technical launch by May,” she said.
Special Assistant to the Chief Adviser for Posts, Telecommunications, and Information Technology, Faiz Ahmad Taiyeb, emphasized that bringing Starlink to Bangladesh was a direct response to public demand—particularly after repeated internet shutdowns during the July 2024 uprising.
Traditional ISPs and mobile networks often experience disruptions during prolonged load shedding when mobile tower batteries deplete. In contrast, Starlink’s satellite-based service can maintain connectivity regardless of local power conditions, making it an essential tool for disaster-prone and energy-challenged areas.
Regulatory preparations for Starlink’s launch have moved at an unprecedented pace. Following the Bangladesh Telecommunication Regulatory Commission’s (BTRC) publication of guidelines for Non-Geostationary Orbit (NGSO) Satellite Services in March, Starlink swiftly submitted its application and fees. A dedicated BTRC committee found Starlink’s application documents to be in full compliance, recommending the license at record speed.
While Starlink has already completed initial trial runs using foreign gateways—such as at the Bangladesh Investment Summit in Dhaka—full commercial operations will require the establishment of local ground infrastructure, including broadband gateways and Internet Exchange Points (IXPs), as stipulated by Bangladeshi telecommunications policy.
