Veon-owned operator Banglalink will bring SpaceX‘s Starlink Mobile service to its customers under a new agreement announced Friday. Bangladesh will be the first country in South Asia to introduce the service.
Banglalink said the service will provide connectivity for essential apps and location services through the company’s app MyBL. It is intended for use during emergencies, natural disasters, and prolonged power outages for customers with a 4G phone and Bangalink SIM. The release does not mention enabling SMS service.
“Millions of Bangladeshis count on their network most when conditions are at their hardest, whether that is a storm or a long power outage. Adding satellite-to-mobile extends Banglalink’s reach beyond what towers alone can cover and makes our network more resilient,” commented Bangalink CEO Johan Buse.
Bangalink is the third-largest mobile network operator (MNO) in Bangladesh with a reported 37.8 million subscribers.
Dubai-based Veon has been rolling out Starlink Mobile in various capacities across its subsidiaries. Kyivstar in Ukraine was the first to launch and Beeline in Kazakhstan is also launching the service.
