American billionaire Elon Musk's Internet service provider Starlink has expanded its services in the South Asian country. This satellite based broadband service company has launched its services in Bangladesh only this week. Starlink, the first South Asian country to receive approval in Sri Lanka, has been operational in Bhutan for two months. India has already given a letter of intent for service operation approval, but no decision has been taken regarding Starlink in Myanmar, Afghanistan and Nepal.

Faiz Ahmed Taiyeb, chief adviser to Bangladesh's Ministry of Posts, Telecommunications and Information Technology, informed on Tuesday that Starlink has been approved for commercial operations. The company has also confirmed this through its X handle. Local media The Daily Star has reported that Starlink has launched two packages in Bangladesh in the initial phase namely 'Residential' and 'Residential Light'. The monthly fee for the residential package is 6,000 taka (about 8,000 Nepali rupees) and residential light is 4,200 taka. It is mentioned in the news that the initial equipment setup cost for both services will be 47 thousand taka.  According to

Taiyeb, there is no 'speed limit' or 'data cap' on these services. He said that customers can use unlimited internet at a maximum speed of 300 Mbps. "Although this is an expensive service, it has created a sustainable option for premium customers who want high-quality and high-speed Internet service," he said, "We believe that companies, non-governmental organizations, freelancers and entrepreneurs who want to expand their business in areas where fiber or high-speed Internet cannot reach from this service will also benefit." 

The government led by the Interim Government of Bangladesh, Muhammad Yunus, has approved Starlink to operate the service. On March 25, Yunus directed the relevant agencies to start the service within 90 days. As per the instructions, the process was initiated and official license was granted to Starlink on April 28. Yunus has expressed confidence in expanding digital access to remote and inaccessible areas of the country. 

Starlink in India is yet to receive final approval from the Indian National Space Promotion and Authorization Center (IN-SPACE) under the Department of Space. The Telecom Regulatory Authority of India (TRAI) is also discussing spectrum distribution and pricing, according to Telegraph India. In the latest news of Times of India, it is said that the approval of In-Space is almost decided and the Department of Telecommunication has approved the 'proposal' of Starlink.

After approval of in-space, Starlink will have to obtain a service provider's license from the Department of Telecommunications and the required spectrum to start services in India. According to the Economic Times, Starlink has applied for a Global Mobile Personal Communication by Satellite (GAPCS) license. Although Starlink has agreed to most of the provisions of the license agreement, Starlink has not made a clear commitment to some provisions.

Starlink has agreed to the provisions of Indian law regarding moving or relocating user terminals. Accordingly, no user can move the terminal by himself. A user terminal is a satellite dish or umbrella that is required to gain Internet access to Starlink's network. The company provides such an umbrella to every user who avails satellite based internet service. It acts as a communication point between the user's device and the satellite network.

Daily Mirror reports that Starlink services are currently available in 50 locations in Sri Lanka and have reached about 25,000 subscribers. In 2024, the Telecommunication Regulatory Commission there, after 28 years, amended the Telecommunication Law through the Parliament and arranged for Starlink to be licensed. The Regulatory Commission had approved five broadband packages for Starlink. Its price ranges from 9,200 to 1,800,000 per month. 

As Starlink is involved in some illegal activities, there seems to be increased concern about its possible misuse worldwide. "In November 2024, Myanmar smugglers were found to have used Starlink equipment to operate a fishing vessel carrying more than 6,000 kilograms of methamphetamine, worth approximately $4.25 billion," the Daily Mirror reported, adding that the equipment was found during a drug bust in the Andaman and Nicobar Islands. Since then, Indian police have requested SpaceX to provide details on the purchase and use of Starlink equipment.

Even in Nepal, local service providers have been complaining that foreign tourists are using the Internet openly in the Himalayan regions of Nepal through Starlink antennas and devices brought from different countries. The regulatory Nepal Telecommunication Authority also issued a notice and requested not to use the satellite communication service in an unauthorized manner. 

Authority has requested not to use internet service without permission saying that there have been complaints that foreign telecommunications service provider companies operate internet services illegally in some places including Himalayan base camps. It is mentioned in the notice that the company that conducts mountain climbing is using the satellite internet service of a foreign service provider company and this action is illegal according to Section 21 of the Telecommunications Act, 2053.

Starlink has been taking initiatives to expand its services in the Indian market since 2021. Even in Nepal, the head of the company, Elon Musk himself, had a virtual conversation with Prime Minister KP Sharma Oli and expressed his desire to provide Starlink service to the peak of Mount Everest. However, the company's representatives have not yet made any formal representations to the Regulatory Telecommunications Authority and the Ministry of Communications and Information Technology. Currently, Starlink claims that its services have been extended to 2.67 billion people in 114 countries and regions.