Banglalink Activates Starlink Satellite Link for Ordinary Mobile Phones in Bangladesh
The service works on compatible 4G handsets without satellite phones or extra equipment, offering messaging, app access and location sharing beyond terrestrial network coverage.
Banglalink has begun offering a satellite-to-mobile service powered by Starlink, enabling standard 4G smartphones to remain reachable in locations where terrestrial towers cannot provide a signal. With the commercial launch, Bangladesh becomes the first country in South Asia to make this form of direct-to-device satellite connectivity available on everyday handsets.
Customers need only a compatible 4G phone and an active Banglalink SIM. No specialised satellite phone, dish or additional hardware is required. Once the service is active, users can access essential applications and share location data even when they are outside conventional network coverage. The connection is currently available through the operator's MyBL super app, and it is also scheduled to appear on the RYZE app, which targets younger users.
To encourage early adoption, Banglalink is providing the satellite internet free for the first month with any internet or mixed bundle pack. After the introductory period, the service continues at no extra charge on selected monthly packages. Subscribers also receive five free SMS messages each month that can be sent over the satellite network. These inclusions are designed to make the capability usable for routine communication rather than restricting it to rare emergencies.
The service is aimed at people who regularly operate beyond the reach of mobile towers. Fishermen working far offshore, residents of remote islands or hill-tract communities, and travellers moving through areas with weak or no coverage can maintain basic connectivity. It is also intended as a resilience measure during cyclones, floods, extended power outages or other events that can disable ordinary mobile infrastructure. By combining Banglalink's existing ground network with Starlink's satellite system, the operator seeks to extend coverage into Bangladesh's exclusive economic zone at sea as well as inland zones that remain difficult to serve with towers alone.
Johan Buse, chief executive of Banglalink, has described the launch in human terms. He has pointed out that a family isolated after a natural disaster or a fisherman needing to send a message home should not be left without any means of contact simply because they are outside tower range. Kaan Terzioglu, chief executive of parent company VEON, has similarly emphasised that the ability to reach someone in a critical moment can turn isolation into the chance of receiving help.
The rollout follows regulatory clearance and earlier proof-of-concept trials conducted in areas including Bandarban and Sandwip. During those tests the company demonstrated SMS, data-based messaging and over-the-top voice calls to officials from the Bangladesh Telecommunication Regulatory Commission and other relevant agencies. The commercial service currently prioritises essential connectivity—messaging, app access and location sharing—rather than high-speed broadband. Company statements indicate that broader capabilities may be added later as the technology and regulatory framework develop.
With the service now live, millions of Banglalink subscribers gain a fallback option that works on the phones they already own. The addition of a satellite layer strengthens the resilience of the country's mobile infrastructure and gives Bangladesh an early regional presence in direct-to-device satellite services. For users in remote or disaster-prone settings, the practical difference is the ability to stay in touch when conventional networks are unavailable.