The Ministry of Transport and Communications of the Kurdistan Regional Government announced that SpaceX has officially requested authorization to launch its Starlink satellite internet services.

The ministry said in a statement late Monday that at the beginning of June this year, SpaceX submitted an official application to the KRG to launch and operate its services in Kurdistan.

KRG and SpaceX Hold Regulatory Talks on Starlink Deployment 

According to the ministry, following email exchanges, officials from the Kurdistan Regional Government met with a team from SpaceX on June 30.

The KRG delegation included directors from Post and Telecommunications, Legal Affairs, and the Minister's Office, along with a representative from the Council of Ministers.

The SpaceX delegation was represented by its Middle East Supervisor and Head of Corporate Licensing.

During the meeting, the two sides “held intensive discussions regarding SpaceX’s operations and regulatory procedures.”

Simultaneously, the KRG and the Ministry of Transport and Communications presented their requirements, emphasizing “guidelines that must be observed to protect the interests of citizens in the Kurdistan Region.”

KRG Welcomes SpaceX Bid to Launch Starlink Internet Services 

The ministry stressed that it “warmly welcomes this step by SpaceX,” noting that the KRG views Starlink's satellite internet services as a crucial, advanced global telecommunications tool that should be available within the Kurdistan Region.

“Once the necessary technical regulations are established to safeguard public interests, this will mark another major step toward diversifying internet services in the Kurdistan Region,” the statement added.

SpaceX Starlink: Beaming Satellite Internet to 12 Million Users Globally 

SpaceX is a private American aerospace company founded by Elon Musk that builds advanced rockets and spacecraft.

The company also operates Starlink, a network of thousands of satellites that beams high-speed internet to people all over the world, even in remote locations.

Starlink provides high-speed satellite internet to over 12 million active subscribers across more than 160 countries and territories around the world.

Powered by a massive fleet of over 10,000 active SpaceX satellites, it delivers reliable connectivity to remote areas, maritime fleets, and commercial aircraft where traditional cables cannot reach.