Staff Reporter:
Several Bangladeshi firms have partnered with Starlink, an international satellite internet service controlled by billionaire Elon Musk, to support the setup of ground earth stations in Bangladesh.
The firms have already signed contracts with Starlink for collaboration, as a US telecommunications service provider team is currently visiting Bangladesh.
The collaboration includes space allocation, construction support and ongoing infrastructure maintenance.
The visit of the Starlink team helped Bangladeshi firms know a few locations of the former’s interest.
In some places, firms are providing support using their own properties, while at some locations, Starlink is considering the Hitech Park property.
Discussions on locations and implementation details are ongoing, said Faiz Ahmad Taiyeb, special assistant to Chief Adviser Prof Muhammad Yunus.
Taiyeb hoped that Starlink would ensure reliable and high-speed internet in Bangladesh’s cities and remote areas, northern regions, or coasts, free from the hassle of load shedding or natural disasters.
“It will ensure uninterrupted and high-quality service. Since the coverage of telecom-grade fibre networks in Bangladesh is limited and remote areas still have problems with load shedding, Starlink will accelerate the daily activities and digital economic initiatives of our entrepreneurs, freelancers, NGOs, and SME businesspeople,” he said.
“We will continue to try to implement a sensible model with Starlink in the next 90 days,” he added.
Chief Adviser Professor Muhammad Yunus, in a letter to Musk on 19 February invited top US businessman and Chief Executive Officer of SpaceX Elon Musk to visit Bangladesh and launch the Starlink satellite service in the country.
The Chief Adviser told Musk his visit to Bangladesh would allow him to meet young Bangladeshi men and women who will be among the main beneficiaries of this leading technology.
The chief adviser asked his high representative, Khalilur Rahman, to coordinate closely with his SpaceX team to ensure completion of the necessary work to make Starlink ready for launch in Bangladesh within the next ninety working days.
On 13 February, the Chief Adviser held an extensive telephonic discussion with Musk, the founder of SpaceX, Tesla, and X, to explore future collaboration and to make further progress in introducing Starlink satellite internet service in Bangladesh.
