Tech billionaire Elon Musk’s SpaceX-owned satellite internet service Starlink launched in Bangladesh on Tuesday (May 21). This launch supports Bangladesh’s efforts to provide reliable and consistent internet access across the country.
Confirming the launch, Starlink said that its services are now available across the entire region of the South Asian nation.
With this, Bangladesh became India’s second neighbour after Bhutan to access Starlink’s technology.
Bangladesh’s Chief Advisor Muhammad Yunus, who has led the government since Prime Minister Sheikh Hasina fled Bangladesh following weeks of violent protest last year, has said the deal provided a service that could not be disrupted by any future political upheaval.
“Starlink’s high-speed, low-latency internet is now available in Bangladesh,” the company posted on X.
During the students’ protest against the Hasina government in July last year, authorities had suspended internet and text messaging services.
Monthly packages start at 4,200 taka ($35) for the service now available nationwide, said Yunus aide Faiz Ahmad Taiyeb, with a one-time payment of 47,000 taka required for setup equipment.
Yunus first approached Musk in February this year with an invitation to visit Bangladesh and launch the Starlink satellite service in the country.
In a letter written to Musk, the Nobel peace laureate said integrating Starlink’s connectivity into the country’s infrastructure would have a transformational impact on its youth and women.
He also asked his administration to coordinate closely with the SpaceX team to ensure completion of the necessary work to make Starlink ready for launch in Bangladesh within the “next ninety working days” from then.
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Starlink has expanded worldwide to operate in more than 70 countries, with a strong focus on further growth in emerging markets such as India.
