Banglalink to provide Starlink service in Bangladesh if partnership with VEON sealed

Elon Musk's Starlink may soon be available in Bangladesh as Dubai-based telecommunications company Veon Ltd is in talks with the company to expand its partnership for satellite-powered cellular services to new markets, with Banglalink to provide the service in the country.

A Banglalink official confirmed it would provide the service if the partnership between Veon and Starlink is sealed.

Veon is the owner of Banglalink, the country's third-largest mobile operator.

Veon wants to offer space-based connectivity in areas where the terrestrial network doesn't reach customers in Pakistan, Bangladesh, Kazakhstan and Uzbekistan, Chief Executive Officer Kaan Terzioglu said in an interview at the World Economic Forum in Davos.

"It's not only about the war situation. Terrestrial networks have their limits," Terzioglu said. "During times of floods or energy deficiencies, which our markets are exposed to, we truly believe that markets need both space-based and terrestrial network coverage," he said.

Kyivstar PJSC, Veon's Ukraine's subsidiary and the country's largest mobile operator, signed a deal last month with Starlink to provide the service, the Bloomberg reports. 

It expects to offer satellite-to-cell text messages in the fourth quarter, followed by voice and data at later stages, the report adds.

Starlink is one of a handful of companies trying to use satellites to provide connectivity to consumer smartphones, but the service is not widely available commercially.

Any deals would require spectrum allocation, which can be expensive and is not always available, Terzioglu said.

Veon's growth strategy is to offer under-served markets telecom access and then expand into segments such as financial services and entertainment.

Vietnam, Ethiopia and Mexico are the types of market Veon is interested in, according to Terzioglu. "We are continuously looking for under-performing assets in these countries," he said.