Starlink officially begins operations in Bangladesh

 
Starlink has officially launched its services in Bangladesh, offering two packages, Starlink Residence and Residence Lite.

Faiz Ahmad Taiyeb, special assistant on posts, telecommunications and ICT affairs to the chief adviser, on Tuesday made the announcement in a Facebook post. Speaking at a press conference at the Foreign Service Academy yesterday, Taiyeb assured that Starlink will operate using local gateways to keep all data traffic within Bangladesh's jurisdiction.

He said that the operation of Starlink internet in Bangladesh will not hamper the country's data sovereignty.

"All regulatory protocols were carefully followed before granting approval to Starlink. The process was deliberate, not rushed. As part of the agreement, Starlink will pay the government $1 per device as revenue," he emphasized.

"Initially, Starlink proposed a monthly subscription of Tk 7,000, but the government negotiated more affordable pricing. Now, the company is offering two packages: Starlink Residential at Tk 6,000 per month and Residential Lite at Tk 4,200 per month. Both plans will require a one-time installation fee of Tk 47,000," he added. Subscribers will benefit from unlimited data and internet speeds of up to 300 Mbps, with coverage extending across 20-30 meters and capable of penetrating 2-3 rooms in multi-story buildings.

Calling it a "historic milestone," Taiyeb highlighted Bangladesh's swift regulatory process, noting that the country issued its first Non-Geostationary Orbit (NGSO) license within 90 days, a record in telecommunications licensing.

He also clarified that Starlink's usage is fully compliant with legal frameworks. "It can be used in residential setups via WiFi and is also suitable for ISP operations due to its integrated router system," he noted.

He added that the government is working to create a financial package to make Starlink available to those who will provide citizen services. " We are planning to facilitate financing through microcredit authorities, financial organisations and banks," he added. Reassuring existing internet service providers, he stressed that Starlink's entry would not disrupt ongoing broadband infrastructure projects, including those in partnership with Chinese companies.

The service is expected to boost internet access in remote regions and empower entrepreneurs with high-speed, reliable connectivity.

Starlink is a satellite internet constellation operated by Starlink Services, LLC, an international telecommunications provider that is a wholly owned subsidiary of American aerospace company SpaceX, providing coverage to around 125 countries and territories. It also aims to provide global mobile broadband. Starlink has been instrumental to SpaceX's growth.

SpaceX began launching Starlink satellites in 2019. As of September 2024, the constellation consists of over 7,000 mass-produced small satellites in low Earth orbit (LEO) that communicate with designated ground transceivers. Nearly 12,000 satellites are planned, with a possible later extension to 34,400. SpaceX announced reaching over 1 million subscribers in December 2022 and 4 million subscribers in September 2024. The SpaceX satellite development facility in Redmond, Washington, houses Starlink research, development, manufacturing, and orbit control facilities. In May 2018, SpaceX estimated the cost of designing, building and deploying the constellation would be at least US$10 billion.

Revenues from Starlink in 2022 were reportedly $1.4 billion with a net loss. A small profit began only in 2023. In May 2024 that year's revenue was expected to reach $6.6 billion but by December the prediction was raised to $7.7 billion. Revenue was then expected to reach $11.8 billion in 2025.

Starlink has been extensively used in the Russo-Ukrainian War, a role for which it has been contracted by the United States Department of Defense. Starshield, a military version of Starlink, is designed for government use. Astronomers raised concerns about the effect the constellation would have on ground-based astronomy, and how the satellites contribute to an already congested orbital environment. SpaceX has attempted to mitigate astronometric interference concerns with measures to reduce the satellites' brightness during operation. The satellites are equipped with Hall-effect thrusters allowing them to raise their orbit, station-keep, and de-orbit at the end of their lives. They are also designed to autonomously and smoothly avoid collisions based on uplinked tracking data.

Starlink's global satellite internet service has emerged as a significant security concern for nation-states, as it operates independently of local infrastructure and often without governmental approval. In India, during the Manipur conflict, militant groups reportedly used smuggled Starlink devices to bypass government-imposed internet shutdowns. In Iran, Elon Musk personally announced the activation of Starlink in 2022 after the Iranian government blocked the internet to suppress the spread of anti-government protests, enabling citizens to regain uncensored access. These cases illustrate the difficulty governments face in controlling unauthorized satellite communications within their borders. The decentralized and autonomous nature of Starlink's operations presents a growing challenge to national sovereignty and cybersecurity enforcement.