DHAKA – US-based satellite internet company Starlink has expressed interest in purchasing bandwidth from Bangladesh to serve neighboring countries, according to a letter submitted to the Bangladesh Telecommunication Regulatory Commission (BTRC).
In the letter dated 13 August 2025, Starlink proposed using Bangladesh as a Point of Presence (PoP) to connect to nearby PoPs and extend its satellite internet services to neighboring countries in South Asia. To support this plan, the company has requested commercial permission to use International Private Leased Circuits (IPLC) and unfiltered IP connections for cross-border data transmission.
The move follows Starlink’s commercial launch in Bangladesh in May 2025, marking the country’s first satellite-based broadband service. The company, owned by Elon Musk’s SpaceX, currently provides internet coverage in Sri Lanka and Bhutan, while operations in India and Nepal are still pending final regulatory approval.
Starlink’s proposal could position Bangladesh as a regional data transmission hub, leveraging its geographic advantage to facilitate cross-border digital connectivity across South Asia. If approved, the initiative would also diversify the country’s internet infrastructure, which currently depends heavily on submarine fiber-optic cables for international bandwidth.
At present, Bangladesh’s bandwidth capacity is supplied primarily through undersea cables, managed and distributed domestically by mobile network operators and internet service providers (ISPs). Starlink’s entry into the terrestrial data market could introduce new competition and resilience into the country’s broadband ecosystem.
The BTRC has not yet issued an official response to Starlink’s request, but industry observers say the proposal could pave the way for regional collaboration in space-based and hybrid connectivity solutions, enhancing both network redundancy and digital access.
