The government has approved the licensing of Starlink, the American Non-Geostationary Satellite Orbit (NGSO) service provider, for operations in Bangladesh.
The license was officially approved today.
Earlier, on March 25, the Bangladesh Telecommunication Regulatory Commission (BTRC) issued the “Non-Geostationary Orbit (NGSO) Satellite Services Operator in Bangladesh” licensing guidelines.
In accordance with these guidelines, Starlink Services Bangladesh applied to BTRC for the Non-Geostationary Orbit (NGSO) Satellite Services Operator License, submitting the required fees and documents.
The commission made a policy decision to approve the issuance of the license during its 294th meeting held on April 21.
Starlink’s entry marks a significant addition to Bangladesh’s internet landscape.
After Sri Lanka, Bangladesh becomes the second country in South Asia where the global satellite internet provider has launched operations.
Providing uninterrupted and high-quality internet access to remote haor regions, island areas, the hilly Chittagong Hill Tracts, and disaster-prone coastal zones remains a major challenge.
In order to address these gaps — particularly in areas where fiber connectivity is absent — the Chief Adviser personally reached out to SpaceX CEO Elon Musk, urging him to begin Starlink operations in Bangladesh within 90 days.
Bangladesh Investment Development Authority (BIDA), BTRC, the Ministry of Posts, Telecommunications and Information Technology, and the Chief Adviser’s Office have worked in close coordination to achieve this milestone.
Additionally, the country’s mobile network coverage and capacity, especially highway mobility coverage, face considerable shortcomings. Starlink is expected to address these challenges effectively.