Lebanon’s cabinet has approved a licence for Starlink, the satellite internet company led by Elon Musk, to operate in the country, according to the state news agency NNA. The approval follows six months of negotiations with the government and marks a major shift in Lebanon’s tightly controlled telecom sector.
Starlink has established a local entity, Starlink Lebanon, to manage operations. The licence allows the company to provide internet distribution services across Lebanese territory using satellites operated by SpaceX. For now, access will be limited to companies, with packages starting at $100 per month.
Until this decision, internet services in Lebanon were controlled exclusively by state-owned providers and their affiliates, many of which had opposed the move. Lebanon currently ranks among the countries with the slowest internet speeds, making the entry of Starlink a significant development for improving connectivity.
The announcement comes after Elon Musk expressed interest in Lebanon’s telecom and internet sectors during a June phone call with President Joseph Aoun, highlighting the potential for satellite technology to support Lebanon’s digital needs.
