Chief Adviser Professor Muhammad Yunus on Monday approved the license for the American NGSO (Non-Geostationary Satellite Orbit) service provider Starlink.
The Bangladesh Telecommunication Regulatory Commission (BTRC) on March 25 issued licensing guidelines titled "Non-Geostationary Orbit (NGSO) Satellite Services Operator in Bangladesh," according to the Chief Adviser's Press Wing.
In accordance with these guidelines, Starlink Services Bangladesh submitted an application to the BTRC, including the applicable fees and necessary documents, to obtain the NGSO Satellite Services Operator License.
A policy decision to issue the license was made during the BTRC’s 294th Commission Meeting held on April 21.
Starlink marks a new addition to Bangladesh’s internet landscape, making it the second South Asian country after Sri Lanka to welcome the global satellite internet provider.
Regarding this development, Faiz Ahmad Taiyeb, special assistant to the chief adviser on Posts, Telecommunications and Information Technology, said the demand for Starlink's entry into Bangladesh gained momentum during the July uprising against the former government of Sheikh Hasina, following repeated internet shutdowns.
He added that the chief adviser intended to send a message positioning Bangladesh as an investment-friendly nation.
There is a pressing need to deliver uninterrupted and high-quality internet services to the haor regions, islands, remote hilly areas and particularly disaster-prone coastal zones, Faiz said.
He continued: "In response to the demand for rapid deployment of high-quality internet where fiber connections have yet to reach, the chief adviser personally called SpaceX CEO Elon Musk, urging him to launch Starlink operations in Bangladesh within 90 days."
Agencies such as Bida, BTRC, the Ministry of Posts, Telecommunications and Information Technology and the chief adviser’s office worked closely to achieve this goal, he noted.
Faiz emphasized that one of Starlink’s primary services will be the provision of uninterrupted high-speed internet, independent of power outages—a frequent challenge with traditional ISPs.
In cases of extended blackouts, when mobile towers' battery backups are depleted, mobile internet services often become disrupted, he added.
However, Starlink’s services will not face such interruptions, he noted.
He also pointed out that fiber network coverage in Bangladesh is limited and much of the existing fiber infrastructure is not telco-grade.
Approximately 65% of the country’s telecom towers still lack fiber connectivity, relying instead on microwave links with very limited capacity, Faiz said.
Additionally, mobile network coverage and capacity remain problematic, with significant gaps in highway mobility coverage, he added.
Faiz went on to say that Starlink is expected to address these challenges comprehensively.
He added that Starlink will enhance competition in Bangladesh’s mobile and broadband internet markets.
"Traditional voice call and data bundle-centric service models will shift toward a more digital service-focused ecosystem."
He concluded by noting that Starlink's services will usher in an era of deregulation in the communications industry, boosting competition and ensuring the availability of seamless, high-quality, high-speed internet across both urban and rural areas of Bangladesh.
