Banglalink will test a new Direct-to-Cell service with Starlink Mobile in Bangladesh in areas without mobile network, including islands, hills and coasts.

The new frontier of mobile coverage does not only involve new towers, fiber optics, or antennas installed in increasingly difficult locations. Bangladesh, the case of Sandwip Island offers a concrete example of how satellite connectivity is entering the ordinary architecture of mobile telecommunications, no longer as a separate alternative for users with a satellite dish, but as an extension of the existing cellular network.

The Dhaka government has authorised Banglalink to conduct a two-month trial of a mobile satellite service. Direct-to-Cell based on Starlink Mobile, intended for areas without conventional cellular coverage. The news was released on May 20, 2026, by the public agency Bangladesh Sangbad Sangstha, while local sources have indicated that the testing areas Bandarban e Sandwip Island, two very different contexts but united by the difficulty of ensuring a stable and widespread terrestrial network.

Experimentation is not about the classic satellite broadband with a dedicated terminal. The innovative point is the connection satellite-to-mobileA user can connect to Starlink Mobile satellites using a standard 4G LTE smartphone, without installing a satellite dish or using a specialized satellite phone. For the telecommunications industry, this represents a paradigm shift: the satellite is no longer just a backhaul link—a remote backbone to a point on Earth—but is becoming a radio component that can directly integrate with the operator's mobile network.

Two-month PoC measures network, spectrum, and security

The permission granted to Banglalink is formally a Proof of Concept, not a commercial license. The distinction is crucial. The government order, adopted after a proposal from the Bangladesh Telecommunication Regulatory Commission, establishes that the trial is temporary and does not constitute a guarantee for a future market launch. The regulator will be required to evaluate the technical, operational, and regulatory aspects and submit a detailed report within three months of reviewing the trial.

The scope is narrow. The service will only operate where there is no terrestrial mobile coverage; when a standard cellular network becomes available again, customers will be automatically reconnected to the conventional infrastructure. This approach clarifies the nature of the technology: not a replacement for terrestrial mobile networks, but an additional layer to bridge dead zones, coastal areas, offshore waters, river basins, islands, and areas subject to infrastructure disruptions.

Spectrum management is also experimental. During the PoC, Banglalink will be able to temporarily use portions of the assigned frequencies in the 1920-1925 MHz and 2110-2115 MHz bands on the Starlink network, on a special basis and without creating precedents for ownership, transfer, or sharing of the spectrum. A temporary assignment of a code is also envisaged. Public Land Mobile Network, that is, the identifier that allows a mobile network to be recognized as an operator in the cellular ecosystem.

The regulatory aspect is almost as important as the technical testing. The service will have to comply with national regulations on legal interception, interconnection, security, and network structure. For Bangladesh, a country crisscrossed by large rivers, cyclones, tides, and geographical discontinuities, the challenge isn't simply bringing signal where it isn't present: it's doing so within a framework of public accountability, spectrum control, and interoperability with existing networks.

Secondo Taimur Rahman, Chief Corporate and Regulatory Affairs Officer of BanglalinkThe experiment is designed to reduce coverage gaps in the most difficult-to-reach areas. The formula used with the BSS agency summarizes the project's industrial logic:

“Strengthen communications for underserved communities and support connectivity during emergencies and natural disasters.”

Starlink Mobile joins Banglalink's terrestrial network

The industrial agreement had been announced by VEON April 22, 2026. Bangladeshi subsidiary Banglalink has signed with Starlink Mobile to integrate connectivity direct-to-device in remote areas with the operator's terrestrial coverage. The planned sequence is conservative: messaging in 2026, then data services at a later stage, subject to regulatory approvals.

The technical solution is based on low-orbit satellites equipped with Direct-to-Cell capabilities. Starlink describes these satellites as a kind of cell tower in space, with eNodeB modems capable of communicating with existing LTE phones. In network terms, the integration is similar to a roaming partner: the device does not need to be modified, but it must be located in a compatible area with a clear view of the sky.

For a non-technical audience, the difference is essential. In traditional satellite broadband, the user installs a terminal that creates a dedicated data connection. In Direct-to-CellHowever, the phone remains the primary access point. The satellite speaks the language of the mobile network and uses radio resources coordinated with the operator. This lowers the barrier to entry, but introduces severe constraints: limited smartphone power, distance from the satellite, orbital motion, interference, latency, handover management, and national spectrum authorizations.

An academic paper published on arXiv in 2025 analyzed the first crowdsourced measurements of Starlink Direct Satellite-to-Device services in the United States, observing that performance and radio quality remain conditioned by satellite availability, spectrum, and regulatory decisions. The useful data for understanding the Bangladeshi case is this: satellite networks to smartphones are not born as an immediate replacement for urban 4G or 5G, but as Supplemental Coverage from Space, that is, additional coverage for areas where the economic or geographical model of the terrestrial network does not support it.

Kaan Terzioglu, CEO VEON Group, framed the operation in broader terms, linking network resilience to economic growth:

“Connectivity is a humanitarian need and an engine of economic growth.”

The phrase, aside from corporate language, captures a structural aspect. In areas exposed to cyclones, isolation, and power or transportation grid disruptions, minimal coverage for essential messages and services can become a component of civil protection, as well as a lever for fishing, small businesses, logistics, and public services.

Banglalink is partnering with Starlink Mobile to bring direct-to-device satellite connectivity to Bangladesh.

The agreement will integrate Starlink's satellite connectivity in remote areas with Banglalink's terrestrial coverage in Bangladesh.

From keeping families and first… pic.twitter.com/8NSft4QrnO

— VEON (@VEONGroup) April 22, 2026

Sandwich shows the value of hybrid networks in fragile areas

Sandwip isn't just a dot on Google Maps. Britannica describes the island as part of the Meghna estuary, about 40 kilometers long and between 5 and 15 kilometers wide, formed by silt deposits and subject to the destructive action of ocean waves. Banglapedia also notes a history of devastating cyclones and storm surges, including those of 1877, 1963, 1970, 1985, and April 29, 1991.

In such a context, connectivity is a geographic issue rather than a commercial one. Cell towers require physical sites, power supply, maintenance, backhaul connections, and weather protection. Fiber requires territorial continuity and soil stability. Satellite, on the other hand, can add a layer of redundancy where the terrestrial network is fragile, expensive, or temporarily out of service.

This doesn't mean satellite will solve every problem. Initial services should focus on SMS and OTT messaging, not high-capacity mobile broadband. Even when data arrives, capacity per satellite beam will need to be shared among many users and will depend on spectrum, authorized power, satellite density, and integration with operator systems. The most realistic promise isn't watching video everywhere, but maintaining a minimum line of communication when conventional infrastructure isn't available.

For the sector of Communication and MediaThe case is interesting because it demonstrates a convergence between three sectors: mobile operators, satellite constellations, and national regulators. Innovation lies not only in the orbital technology, but also in the operating model. An operator like Banglalink can expand its coverage without building new towers everywhere; Starlink Mobile can enter the market through agreements with local licensees; the regulator can maintain control over frequencies, security, and commercial use.

VEON presents Bangladesh as the group's third market for this technology, following Kyivstar's experience in Ukraine and tests in Kazakhstan. This data points to a broader strategy: using complex markets, with vast remote areas or vulnerable infrastructure, to validate hybrid network models. It's no coincidence that the press release cites over half a billion people in the five markets covered by the framework with Starlink Mobile.

From emergency coverage to new regulatory models

Banglalink's trial of Sandwich and Bandarban should be viewed as a system test. On the one hand, it verifies whether a standard 4G smartphone can remain reachable where terrestrial networks aren't available. On the other, it measures how authorization, spectrum, security, operator accountability, and public oversight can coexist in a network that crosses previously separate technological boundaries.

For telecommunications companies, the central issue will be the economic model. Direct-to-Cell networks can create value in emergencies, rural areas, coastal shipping, fishing, and public services, but they are unlikely to replace terrestrial network capacity in dense areas in the short term. Their most credible function is to resilient roofing: a last resort network, integrated into operators' tariff plans and architectures, which activates when there are no terrestrial alternatives.

For states, the issue will be regulatory sovereignty. A satellite in low orbit does not eliminate the need for national licenses; on the contrary, it makes it more delicate. Frequencies, lawful interception, traffic routing, user authentication, and emergency priorities will have to be defined before any commercial launch. Bangladesh has so far chosen a cautious path: limited testing, BTRC monitoring, temporary use of the spectrum, and no automatic transition to commercialization.

Sandwich thus becomes a simple yet relevant innovation laboratory. Not because it promises unlimited coverage, but because it tests a concrete idea: in areas where towers and fiber aren't enough, the mobile network can become hybrid, with a terrestrial and orbital component coordinated in the same service. If the PoC produces solid technical and regulatory results, the Bangladesh It could turn an island in the Meghna delta into a case study for operators, regulators, and coastal communities in many other countries.

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