New Satellite Operator in Talks for Iraq Licence

A second global satellite communications provider is in negotiations to obtain a licence to operate in Iraq, which would introduce direct competition to Starlink in the market.

Baligh Abu Kalal, head of Iraq's Communications and Media Commission (CMC), told the Baghdad Dialogue Conference that around 40,000 Starlink devices were in use in Iraq before the service was licensed, serving approximately 200,000 users without legal authorisation. He said this made regulation necessary to protect digital sovereignty and bring the service within Iraqi law.

He added that the satellite communications framework prepared by the CMC is not exclusive to any single company, and that negotiations are under way with another global operator seeking a licence to provide satellite internet services in Iraq.

Abu Kalal noted that Starlink's licence includes a security annex covering requirements related to devices, users, content blocking, and responses to legal requests. He said Starlink's market entry had also prompted other providers to improve their services.