Elon Musk-founded SpaceX has received a licence to operate Starlink satellite and internet services in Bahrain.
The Gulf country’s Telecommunications Regulatory Authority (TRA) issued the licence to the US-based private space exploration technology company, which recently launched the first commercial flights to space.
Manufactured by SpaceX, Starlink uses a network of satellites along the Earth’s orbit in low altitudes to provide fibre-grade internet services to consumers across the world, including those in residential and commercial units, as well as ships and planes.
“We are pleased that Starlink chose Bahrain as the first market in the Gulf to seek licences for its services. This will ensure that consumers and businesses in the kingdom continue to have access to the most advanced communications capabilities and services,” said TRA Bahrain general director Philip Marnick.
The Starlink service now operates primarily in North America, Europe and Australia, and this is the service’s first expansion in the Middle East.
“Using advanced satellites in a low orbit, Starlink enables video calls, online gaming, streaming, and other high data rate activities that historically have not been possible with satellite internet. Users can expect to see download speeds between 100 Mb/s and 200 Mb/s and latency as low as 20ms in most locations,” the company’s website reads.
