FROM PAGE B1

The Bangladesh Telecommunication Regulatory Commission (BTRC) built an entirely new Non-Geostationary Orbit licensing framework for satellite internet in weeks, a regulatory push that was partly “shaped by public demand following internet shutdowns” during the mass uprising in July 2024.

“The speed with which Bangladesh’s BTRC built and approved a new licensing framework -- weeks rather than years -- shows what becomes possible when a government treats satellite broadband as a policy priority rather than a regulatory challenge,” it states.

UNAFFORDABLE FOR ORDINARY HOUSEHOLDS

Starlink’s monthly residential fee is broadly similar across Asia-Pacific, ranging from roughly $45 in Australia to $68 in the Philippines, but its weight on household budgets varies sharply by income.

Bangladesh’s GDP per capita sits below $4,000, meaning the approximately $50 monthly plan takes up a far larger share of household income than it does in Japan, Australia, or even Malaysia.

The pattern repeats across lower-income markets in the region. In Indonesia, where Starlink’s entry-level plan costs more than double the typical household internet spend, growth has been driven largely by institutional users -- government health programmes, maritime operators, and industries in remote areas -- rather than ordinary households.

“Starlink’s pricing responds to demand and capacity conditions in ways that fixed-line operators typically do not,” states Ookla. For instance, Starlink introduced surge fees of roughly $490 to $574 for new subscribers in high-demand areas in Indonesia in July 2025, a pricing dynamic with no equivalent in fixed-line broadband.

Bangladesh appears to be heading in the same direction in terms of usage in ordinary households. The country’s three authorised resellers, Robi Axiata, Felicity IDC, and Bangladesh Satellite Company, have each signed $2.5 million distribution agreements focused on business and priority plans.

As of January 2026, the satellite internet service attracted only 3,469 customers as of January 2026, according to BTRC data, mostly due to prices up to ten times higher than local broadband failing to attract subscribers.

All three authorised dealers report difficulty finding customers willing to pay premium prices, The Daily Star reported last month.

“General users are concentrated in areas with fibre coverage,” said Shah Ahmedul Kabir, general manager for sales and marketing at Bangladesh Satellite Company.

“So, we are focusing on niche markets such as hill tracts, remote char areas, maritime applications for fishing boats, and mobile connectivity on long-haul buses and trains,” he added.

Sharful Alam, chief executive of Felicity IDC, said enterprises view Starlink primarily as backup internet connectivity rather than a core service.

“It’s unlikely that people will abandon existing broadband services, given the significant price difference,” he said.

Felicity IDC’s Starlink packages, offering 1 TB (terabyte) to 4 TB data allowances, range from Tk 25,000 to Tk 75,000.

For remote and underserved areas, however, the case for Starlink is clearer. Bangladesh Satellite Company has already connected 12 schools across three hill tract districts, with plans to expand to over 150 -- the kind of use case where satellite internet faces little competition from fibre or mobile alternatives.

Looking ahead, Ookla’s report notes that the competitive landscape across Asia-Pacific is shifting. Amazon’s Project Kuiper is set to enter the region, while China’s Qianfan Constellation has signed wholesale agreements with local operators in Malaysia and Thailand through a partnership model that sidesteps the foreign ownership constraints Starlink has had to negotiate market by market.

For Bangladesh, Starlink has also proposed exporting bandwidth to neighbouring countries through its local infrastructure -- a proposal BTRC is currently reviewing.

Experts say approval could position Bangladesh as a regional data transit point and generate foreign currency for local operators.