Starlink sets up four local gateways across Bangladesh

Starlink Services Bangladesh Ltd. has completed the installation of four regional gateways in the country, a move aimed at strengthening the presence of Elon Musk’s satellite-based internet venture in Bangladesh.

According to recent inspections by the Bangladesh Telecommunication Regulatory Commission (BTRC), two gateways have been installed at Gazipur’s Hi-Tech Park, while one each has been established in Rajshahi and Jashore.

However, documents reviewed by The Daily Star show that BTRC could not confirm whether these gateways are fully operational since no Starlink representative was present during the inspections.

Local partner firms, on the other hand, claim that commercial traffic has already been flowing since August 9 via the Kaliakoir site, and from August 20 through the Rajshahi and Jashore gateways.

Attempts to reach Starlink for official comments were unsuccessful.

Inspection findings

Starlink typically sets up terrestrial gateways to integrate a country’s internet backbone with its satellite constellation—this ensures faster connections, lower latency, regulatory compliance, and alignment with national telecom and security frameworks.

Earlier, BTRC had granted Starlink a three-month temporary waiver to operate without gateways, despite rules requiring them. The company received its operating license on April 29 and test authorization on May 8, which expired on August 7.

As per license conditions, at least one gateway must be deployed before commercial service launch. On August 10, Starlink informed BTRC via email that four gateways were installed, but did not submit an official letter.

Subsequently, BTRC sent inspection teams on August 13 and 16. Inspectors reported large antenna setups and necessary infrastructure at the Kaliakoir Hi-Tech City site, managed by local tier-three certified data center operator Felicity IDC Ltd. (FIDC).

The Rajshahi gateway is run by Bondstein Technologies, connected to Kaliakoir through Summit Communications’ high-capacity fiber links. Jashore’s facility hosts multiple antennas, though parts of the site remain under construction, and is also managed by FIDC. Fiber@Home has been providing additional large-scale connectivity to both Jashore and Kaliakoir sites.

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Partnerships and reseller network

Starlink is working closely with several Bangladeshi companies to manage its ground operations. It has already signed agreements with Robi Axiata PLC and Bangladesh Satellite Company Ltd. (BSCL), making them official resellers.

Under its agreement with Robi, the operator will market two service tiers—Local Priority and Global Priority—for both fixed and portable usage. Robi plans to deliver these services to rural and underserved areas via enterprise channels, retail outlets, and community Wi-Fi models.

Robi’s Corporate and Regulatory Affairs Chief, Shahed Alam, said the rollout will support key applications such as e-learning, digital commerce, and video conferencing.

BSCL’s Sales & Marketing General Manager, Shah Ahmedul Kabir, confirmed a $2.5 million deal to procure Starlink hardware and data packages for resale, expanding BSCL’s portfolio beyond Bangabandhu-1.

As part of the reseller framework, Starlink will import terminals into Bangladesh and supply them in local currency to BSCL and other approved resellers. Resellers will receive a 15% discount on hardware and 5% on service fees, along with access to Starlink’s reseller portal and API for client and service management.

They will also be free to set retail prices, bill customers directly, and provide value-added services like installation and technical support.

Potential clients include banks, hospitals, factories, data centers, offshore facilities, and industries such as aviation, maritime, energy, construction, and media.

Unlike its global model where customers purchase directly from Starlink’s website, in Bangladesh both BSCL and local resellers will cater to individuals and enterprises. However, personal users will still have the option of ordering directly through Starlink’s global portal.