Elon Musk’s satellite broadband service provider Starlink has been permitted to operate its service in Bhutan, a relatively small market in South Asia. The country has become one of the first in the region to allow the US-based company to operate its wireless service.
Bhutan’s approval for Starlink was announced on February 11, 2025. The country hopes that satellite internet would help bridge the digital divide, especially in remote areas where traditional telecom infrastructures are hard to deploy.
With satellite broadband, there’s always a concern about its high tariffs. However, Starlink has set relatively affordable prices for its services in two plans. In Bhutan, Starlink Residential Lite Plan comes at Nu 3,000 a month with speeds ranging between 23 Mbps to 100 Mbps.
The Standard Residential Plan price is set at Nu 4,200 a month, which delivers speeds from 25 Mbps to 110 Mbps with the benefit of unlimited data.
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Starlink arrives in Bhutan, but there are conditions set
The Bhutan government allowed Starlink a license to operate, but with some conditions. The company is stipulated to operate in the country as a foreign direct investment enterprise and will have to appoint local representatives and also guarantee the quality of service (QoS) and data security.
Further, Starlink will need to receive payment in Bhutan’s local currency of Ngultrum.
And as usual, the approval for Starlink has raised concerns among internet service providers (ISPs). TashiCell, one of the country’s prominent telecom service providers, will be concerned with competition from Starlink as it plans on expanding 4G and 5G, and FTTH services to more areas.
On the flip side, the company sees space for collaboration, such as to backhaul its cell towers and explore direct-to-device communication in rural areas.
It remains to be seen how effective Starlink will be in Bhutan. But it certainly helps widen its wings in South Asia. Starlink has received approval in India, Pakistan, and Sri Lanka to operate its services.
Starlink provides internet via 70,00 LEO satellites as of January 2025. It requires a dish and a router to receive signals from the satellite to connect.