Two officials from SpaceX, the space exploration company founded by Elon Musk, are set to meet with top officials from the Bangladesh government on Monday to discuss the possibility of bringing Starlink, a global satellite internet service, to the country.
The meeting, which will be held at the ICT Division in Dhaka, will be led by Joel Meredith, SpaceX’s manager for global government affairs, and Par nil Urdu ware sue, the company’s manager for global licensing and activation.
According to a source, the agenda for the meeting includes the signing of a memorandum of understanding between SpaceX and the ICT Division on long-term collaboration on space tech development and capacity enhancement of Bangladesh’s youths on related technologies.
State Minister for ICT Zunaid Ahmed Palak is scheduled to attend the meeting.
During the meeting, the SpaceX officials will be asked how Starlink can be beneficial for hard-to-reach areas and disaster-prone regions with internet connectivity. They will also be asked about the nationwide project to deploy Starlink to connect Bangladesh, and whether there will be a special pricing for Bangladesh to keep it within the per MB or GB price quoted by the government.
The officials of the ICT Division are also expected to ask the SpaceX officials about their business plan in Bangladesh, their investment, whether there is any scope for Starlink to manufacture equipment in Bangladesh, and whether they will invest in hi-tech parks.
The host side will inform the visitors that Bangladesh would be interested if Tesla, another Musk-owned company, wants to open factories in the country.
The ICT Division will also invite Elon Musk for a meeting with Prime Minister Sheikh Hasina in New York in September, come to Bangladesh to hold a similar meeting, or have a virtual meeting with the premier.
The meeting is seen as a significant step in Bangladesh’s efforts to bring high-speed internet to all corners of the country. Starlink, which currently offers beta service in over 25 countries, could provide a much-needed boost to internet connectivity in Bangladesh, especially in rural areas.
The meeting is also seen as a sign of growing interest from foreign investors in Bangladesh’s tech sector. In recent years, the country has seen a surge in investment from tech giants such as Google, Facebook, and Microsoft.
The outcome of the meeting between SpaceX and the Bangladesh government will be closely watched by the tech industry. If the two sides are able to reach an agreement, it could pave the way for Starlink to launch commercial service in Bangladesh in the near future.
