Time for a reality check: How viable is Starlink in Bangladesh?

How much does a broadband internet connection cost you per month?

I guess this is as low as Tk500 for a speed of 4mbps, which could amount to a couple of thousand taka for a speed of 50mbps or even 100mbps. But would you ever spend $99 (Tk9,000 approximately) for an internet connection at your home even though it might be a little better in terms of connection stability to internet speed?

Around a week ago, Starlink caused a stir in Bangladesh, as the company is poised to take pre-orders and start its service by 2023 in the country.

If you go to Starlink's official website to get a pre-order service from Bangladesh, you will get an instruction to pay a $99 fee. It says Starlink hopes to expand its services in the area by 2023.

According to a map shared on Twitter by SpaceX – the manufacturer of Starlink satellites – most of the countries in Europe and North America have already come under this service. The tweet says that the internet service is now accessible in 32 nations.

The map also lists most of the rest of the world, including some parts of Africa and Asia, with a "soon to come" sign. These countries include Brazil, Saudi Arabia, Pakistan, India and Bangladesh.

The billionaire entrepreneur Elon Musk is known for his association with many disruptive technologies. One of the lesser-known but potentially equally disruptive as his other tech ventures is Starlink.

Starlink – a satellite internet service provider – is an enterprise from Elon Musk with the objective of providing high-speed internet access to almost all people in the world through an expanding network of private satellites that circle the Earth in the lower orbit.

On the order page of the official Starlink website, it reads, "Order now to reserve your Starlink. Starlink expects to expand its service in your area in 2023. Availability is subject to regulatory approval. Orders are fulfilled on a first-come, first-served basis."

The third sentence precisely means that the Starlink service is yet to be approved by the government of Bangladesh.

Starlink claims it is "ideally suited for areas of the globe where connectivity has typically been a challenge," and "unbounded by traditional ground infrastructure, Starlink can deliver high-speed broadband internet to locations where access has been unreliable or completely unavailable."

There is something to be excited about, just like any other endeavours of Musk. Starlink seems trailblazing, futuristic and idealistic. But, Starlink has its fair share of doubts and criticism. And now is as good a time as any for a reality check.

The Business Standard asked Almas Kabir, former president of the Bangladesh Association of Software and Information Services (Basis), about Starlink's viability in Bangladesh.

"The price at $99 per month is definitely a steep one for individual users. There is also a one-time charge of $500-600 initially for the equipment. The business users will need to pay a one-time fee of $2,500 and a monthly fee of $500 for a speed up to 500mbps," said Almas Kabir.

According to him, satellite-based internet connectivity is useful in remote areas where networks of local ISP or mobile operators are not present. However, a relatively expensive satellite internet service might not be feasible in a densely populated country like Bangladesh, where 99% of the area is under mobile network coverage.

Besides, the Bangabandhu-1 satellite can provide similar services, according to Almas Kabir. However, as Starlink uses a network of lower Earth orbit satellites, the signal delay or latency is substantially reduced.

Overall, Almas Kabir has both doubts and optimism about the application of Starlink in Bangladesh. For him, while Starlink is revolutionary, the service is still in the beta phase. It provides high-speed internet connectivity when conditions are optimal, and it does so without the hassle of a wired connection. Albeit the relatively high cost is detrimental to its mass popularity.

He added, "I always believe in the usage of new technologies. Turning a blind eye to new tech will only make us less competitive. Hence, Bangladesh should allow the use of Starlink within its territory. Negotiations with the company should be made to comply with the local guidelines."

We also spoke to Mustafa Jabbar, Minister of Posts and Telecommunications of the Government of Bangladesh, who said, "First of all, Starlink has not applied to us for approval to run their services in Bangladesh. You might have seen the disclaimer on their web page: 'subject to regulatory approval'. 

Interestingly, they [Starlink] didn't even contact the regulator. So how can this be approved?"

We asked if Starlink's application for approval would be accepted. The minister replied that his ministry would consider this based on the national interests of Bangladesh.

"We have to consider exactly why we should let Starlink provide internet service through their satellites," said the minister, adding, "Starlink is a business company. It is one of the many satellite internet providers. It is probably the best one in its class but not the only one or the unique one. We have our own satellite by which we can provide internet."

We reminded Mustafa Jabbar that in the early 1990s, Bangladesh was about to get free of cost submarine cables. But the government was too scared to accept it, so we missed the boat on submarine cables. We asked him if Starlink would be revolutionary and a missed opportunity, again, if we decide to take a pass on it?

In response, he said that in 1992 we had the opportunity to join the "SEA-ME-WE 3" optical submarine telecommunications cable. However, the government at that time thought that if connected with the submarine cable, national information would be trafficked. It was in fact, a grave mistake on the part of that government.

"We got our first submarine cable by joining 'SEA-ME-WE 4' in 2006, and as a result, the country fell behind in the competition by 14 years. However, Starlink is not providing us with any kind of new tech. So, if we do not accept, it does not mean we will suffer."