MAHMUDUL HASAN

Starlink Services Bangladesh Ltd has finally completed the instalation of four local gateways across the country, as Elon Musk’s satellite internet company looks to solidify its footprint in Bangladesh.

Two gateways were established in a hi-tech park in Gazipur, while the other two were set up in Rajshahi and Jashore, according to recent inspections by the Bangladesh Telecommunication Regulatory Commission (BTRC).

The BTRC could not verify whether the systems were fully functional since no Starlink representatives were present during the inspection of those sites, according to documents seen by The Daily Star.

However, local partner companies informed the regulator that commercial traffic had already begun flowing through the Kaliakair gateways from August 9 and the Jashore and Rajshahi gateways from August 20.

Starlink couldn’t be reached for a comment regarding the matter.

THE INSPECTIONS

Starlink typically establishes local gateways to connect its satellite network with a country’s internet infrastructure, ensuring faster speeds, lower latency, regulatory compliance, and integration with national security and telecom requirements.

The establishment of the four gateways came after the BTRC granted an extraordinary three-month waiver allowing Starlink to begin operations without a gateway, which is mandatory under the guidelines.

Starlink was awarded its operating licence on April 29 this year, and subsequently received permission for test operations on May 8, which expired on August 7.

Under the licensing guidelines, the company is obligated to establish at least one gateway system within Bangladesh before commencing its service.

According to BTRC documents, on August 10, Starlink informed the regulator via email that four gateways had been installed, but no official letter was submitted to the commission.

Following this, the BTRC issued inspection orders on August 13 and August 16, dispatching teams to verify the infrastructure.

The BTRC’s inspection team found that large antenna structures and other necessary equipment had been installed at the hi-tech city in Kaliakair of Gazipur, according to regulatory documents. The gateways are managed by Felicity IDC Limited (FIDC), a local TIER-III certified data centre, which is also providing essential infrastructure support.

Another gateway has been built in Rajshahi, which is being managed by the local technology company Bondstein Technologies, while Summit Communications has connected the site to Kaliakair through high-capacity fibre links.

In Jashore, a gateway with multiple antennas has also been constructed, while work is still ongoing at another section of the site. FIDC is also managing this gateway.

Fiber@Home is supplying additional large-scale connectivity for both the Jashore and Kaliakair gateways.

LOCAL COLLABORATION

Starlink is working closely with several Bangladeshi companies to run its operations on the ground.

Meanwhile, Starlink has signed deals with Robi Axiata PLC and Bangladesh Satellite Company Limited (BSCL), making them its authorised resellers.

Under the agreement with Starlink, Robi will market two service tiers, Local Priority and Global Priority, covering both fixed and portable use cases.

The telecom operator plans to distribute Starlink services through its enterprise channels, retail outlets, and community Wi-Fi models to extend access to rural and underserved areas, said Shahed Alam, chief corporate and regulatory affairs officer at Robi.

He said the initiative will support critical applications like e-learning, video conferencing, and digital commerce.

Earlier, BSCL signed a $2.5 million deal to procure and resell Starlink hardware and data packages to enterprises, diversifying its portfolio beyond Bangabandhu-1, according to Shah Ahmedul Kabir, general manager (sales and marketing) at BSCL.

As part of the Starlink reseller framework, Starlink Bangladesh will import the terminals and sell them to local resellers, including BSCL, in Bangladeshi currency.

Resellers will receive a 15 percent discount on hardware and 5 percent off the service charges. They will also gain access to Starlink’s reseller portal and Application Programming Interface (API) for managing clients and services.

Resellers are free to set their own pricing, directly bill customers, and offer value-added services such as installation and technical support.

Potential customers include banks, hospitals, factories, data centres, offshore installations, and sectors such as aviation, maritime, energy, construction, and media.

Globally, Starlink markets primarily to individual users through its Residential and Roam packages. For corporate and government clients, it relies on resellers under its Business and Priority plans. In Bangladesh, BSCL and other local agents will be able to serve both enterprise and residential markets, though individuals can still buy directly through Starlink’s website.