Starlink, the satellite-based internet venture operated by Elon Musk’s aerospace company SpaceX, has commenced pilot operations in Bangladesh.
The trial launch took place on Wednesday (9 April) during the inaugural session of the Bangladesh Investment Summit, held at the InterContinental Hotel in Dhaka.
Delegates attending the event are now able to access Starlink’s high-speed satellite internet service on-site.
The summit’s proceedings are also being broadcast live using the very same Starlink connection, marking a notable demonstration of the technology’s capabilities.
At a press briefing on Sunday, the executive chairman of the Bangladesh Investment Development Authority (BIDA), Chowdhury Ashiq Mahmud bin Harun, announced that Starlink has completed its registration with BIDA. The firm was granted its investment registration on 29 March.
However, before commencing full-scale commercial operations across the country, Starlink must obtain a licence under the Non-Geostationary Orbit (NGSO) policy from the Bangladesh Telecommunication Regulatory Commission (BTRC).
Initial testing of Starlink’s technology in Bangladesh began in July 2023. After the formation of the current caretaker government, Professor Muhammad Yunus held a video call with Elon Musk on 13 February to discuss the service’s rollout in Bangladesh—an exchange that helped accelerate progress.
Subsequently, several rounds of pilot testing were conducted in Dhaka throughout the past month, paving the way for Wednesday’s formal pilot debut.
