Starlink signing deals with local firms to expand footprint
Starlink is steadily consolidating its presence in Bangladesh through a series of partnership agreements with local companies, with deals spanning ground station development, colocation and data centre services, core site hosting, transmission, and international internet gateway (IIG) facilities.
The Daily Star spoke to half a dozen individuals, including officials from companies involved in these partnerships. However, all requested anonymity, citing non-disclosure agreements (NDAs) signed with Starlink.
For all latest news, follow The Daily Star's Google News channel. Industry sources confirmed that most of the key deals have been secured by Fibre@Home and its affiliated companies.
The initial construction of Starlink's first ground station in the country is being carried out by Fibre@Home. The station is being developed at the Hi-Tech City in Kaliakair, Gazipur.
Starlink's servers will be hosted at Felicity IDC Limited, a Tier III data centre situated within the same park.
According to industry insiders, Fibre@Home and its subsidiaries offer a diverse portfolio, ranging from optical fibre infrastructure to data centres and internet services, making them a strong local partner for Starlink's operations.
Industry sources confirmed that most of the key deals have been secured by Fibre@Home and its affiliated companies
Additional ground stations are expected to be set up in the Software Technology Park in Jashore and in Cox's Bazar. In Jashore, Fibre@Home is providing the primary infrastructure for the Starlink facility there.
When approached for comment, Sajal Hazra, CEO of Fibre@Home Global Limited, confirmed the collaboration with Starlink but declined to disclose further details due to the NDA.
For transmission services, Starlink has partnered with Fibre@Home, Summit Communications, and Bahon Limited.
Both Fibre@Home and Summit Communications are in discussions with Starlink to provide international internet gateway (IIG) services.
In a separate development, multiple companies have secured authorised reseller status with Starlink, each paying nearly $2.5 million for the opportunity.
While Starlink primarily deals directly with consumers for its 'Residential' and 'Roam' plans globally, authorised B2B resellers are permitted to serve business and government clients under the Starlink Business and Priority plans.
In Bangladesh, reseller partners will have the option to serve both enterprise clients and individual residential customers, although the latter can also opt to subscribe directly via Starlink.
Under Starlink's commercial reseller model, the company's local entity — Starlink Bangladesh in this case — will handle importation of user terminals (kits), which will then be sold to resellers in local currency.
Resellers will receive a 15 percent discount on hardware and a 5 percent discount on service fees. They will also be provided with access to Starlink's reseller portal and API for customer management.
Resellers can set their own pricing, bill customers directly, and are encouraged to provide additional services such as installation, customised solutions, and ongoing technical support.
Potential client sectors include data centres, retail outlets, hospitals, financial institutions, manufacturing facilities, offshore rigs, and organisations in media, transportation, aviation, maritime, oil and energy, and construction.
Earlier, the Bangladesh Telecommunication Regulatory Commission (BTRC) granted Starlink a temporary 90-day permit to supply bandwidth from abroad.
The decision came after Starlink requested a waiver to meet its service launch deadline, which would otherwise have expired before the establishment of a local internet gateway.
Starlink could not be reached for a comment.
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