Lebanon has granted a licence to Elon Musk’s satellite internet company Starlink to operate in the country, the state news agency NNA reported on Thursday.
Tony Saad, a spokesperson for Telecommunications Minister Charles Hage, said that Starlink had set up a company in Lebanon, which was awarded the licence after around six months of negotiations with the government.
He said access to the service would be limited to companies, with packages starting at $100 a month.
Internet access in Lebanon, which ranks among the countries with the slowest speeds, has until now been operated exclusively by state-owned providers and their affiliates, which have lobbied the government not to grant a licence to Starlink.
“The Lebanese cabinet approved granting a licence to Starlink Lebanon to provide internet distribution services across all Lebanese territory through satellites operated by SpaceX,” NNA said.
Musk expressed interest in Lebanon’s telecommunications and internet sectors in June during a phone call with President Joseph Aoun, according to a presidency statement.
Potential Sale To Ukraine
Meanwhile, the US State Department has approved the potential sale of Starlink services and related equipment and Patriot air defense sustainment and related equipment to Ukraine, the Pentagon said on August 29.
The transactions are worth $150 million and $179 million, respectively. On August 28, the Pentagon announced US approval for the sale of air-launched cruise missiles and related equipment to Ukraine for an estimated $825 million.
The Trump administration has agreed with European allies to step up military support for Kyiv as US President Donald Trump seeks to pressure Russia into agreeing a peace deal to end its war in Ukraine. Under the agreement, European governments will pay for US weapons on Ukraine’s behalf.
Starlink has been integral to Ukraine’s communications on the battlefield, including its control of drones, the backbone of its military’s strikes on Russian forces.
(With inputs from Reuters)
