How many subscribers did Starlink gain in five months in Bangladesh?

• Starlink logs 1,800 active Bangladesh devices
• 2,500 pending orders face logistical delays
• Gateways built in Gazipur, Rajshahi, Jashore
• Robi, BSCL sign $2.5m reseller deals

Starlink, the satellite internet service operated by Elon Musk's SpaceX, now has around 1,800 active devices in use across Bangladesh within five months of beginning operations, according to data from the Bangladesh Telecommunication Regulatory Commission (BTRC).

Each active device, or user terminal, connects directly to Starlink's satellite network to provide broadband connectivity, indicating that there are at least 1,800 people using the service.

Brig Gen Shafiul Azam Parvez, director general (engineering and operations) at the BTRC, said that Starlink updates its device count on a quarterly basis.

Industry sources said another 2,500 orders have been placed but are facing delays due to logistical challenges.

The satellite internet provider received its operating licence on April 29 this year and was permitted to begin three months of test operations from May 8. It officially announced its Bangladesh launch on May 20 through its X (formerly Twitter) account, offering two packages -- the Tk 6,000 "Starlink Residential" plan and the Tk 4,200 "Residential Lite" plan.

Bangladesh currently has 13.53 crore internet subscribers, including 1.45 crore broadband and 12.08 crore mobile users, according to BTRC data.

According to regulatory documents, Starlink informed the BTRC via email on August 10 that four gateways had been installed, although no formal letter was submitted. Following this, the regulator issued inspection orders on August 13 and 16 and dispatched teams to verify the infrastructure.

The inspection teams found that large antenna structures and other essential equipment had been installed at the Hi-Tech City in Kaliakair, Gazipur. The gateways there are managed by Felicity IDC Limited (FIDC), a local Tier-III certified data centre providing infrastructure support.

Another gateway has been built in Rajshahi, managed by Bondstein Technologies, while Summit Communications has connected the site to Kaliakair through high-capacity fibre links.

In Jashore, a gateway with multiple antennas has also been constructed, while work continues on another section of the site. FIDC is also managing this gateway, with Fiber@Home supplying additional large-scale connectivity for both the Jashore and Kaliakair gateways.

Globally, Starlink markets primarily to individual users through its Residential and Roam packages, which can be ordered directly from its website. For corporate and government clients, it relies on authorised resellers under its Business and Priority plans.

In Bangladesh, Robi Axiata PLC and Bangladesh Satellite Company Limited (BSCL) have already signed $2.5 million deals with Starlink, making them its authorised resellers.

Under the agreement, Robi will offer two service tiers, Local Priority and Global Priority, covering both fixed and portable use cases.

Asked about current sales, Shahed Alam, chief corporate and regulatory affairs officer at Robi, said the uptake is at an expected level.

"A huge number of orders are still pending due to logistical challenges," he said.

He said the resellers can also set exclusive packages for corporate customers according to their needs.