Exploring Starlink in Lebanon: When Will It Be Available?

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Written By Viktor

Product manager by day, Starlink enthusiast by night.

I visited Lebanon for the first time back in the summer of 2021. One of the first things that struck me was how hard necessities I took for granted were to come by.

Electricity, even in hotels, would frequently shut off. And internet speeds were not only lackluster but strikingly expensive – even for a Western tourist like myself.

Two years later and the situation hasn’t improved that much at all. Now, to get 10 Mbps (download) will cost you USD 36 per month.

This certainly makes Lebanon ripe for the entry of Starlink, which should offer magnitudes greater speeds and potentially more competitive pricing, shaking up the current telecommunications landscape.

Unfortunately, Lebanese citizen will have to be patient for the time being.

Is Starlink Currently Available In Lebanon?

That’s because Starlink is currently not available in Lebanon – at least not officially.

Back in 2021, Starlink was claiming (via its availability map) that it planned to launch in Lebanon sometime in 2022.

starlink lebanon

Those plans, as you might have guessed, have obviously not materialized, mainly due to regulatory capture.

Ogero, Lebanon’s state telecommunications operator, demands all internet providers to pass through its network.

However, in recent times, things seem to have eased up. Johnny Corm, the country’s Telecom Minister, said that the government is currently in talks with SpaceX regarding the issuance of a license.

That said, an official launch date is yet to be set for Starlink’s arrival in Lebanon.

Does Starlink Work In Lebanon, Though?

While Starlink isn’t licensed to operate in Lebanon, it appears to be functioning nonetheless.

Word on the street (e.g., Reddit and Facebook groups) is that Starlink does indeed work in Lebanon.

You’d have to subscribe to the Global Roam option in a country where Starlink is licensed in and then take the hardware with you to Lebanon.

The traffic would be routed through the nearest licensed country where Starlink has a ground station.

This would likely be Cyprus where Starlink was launched in back in July 2023.

Keep in mind that Starlink, since it would technically be in violation of local telecom policies (and thus risk losing its license approval), could cut your connection off at any time, leaving you with unusable hardware.

The war between Hamas and Israel (and Lebanon’s partial involvement vis-a-vis Hezbollah) will certainly prompt Starlink to react more swiftly.

The last thing SpaceX wants on its hand is to potentially aid another terrorist group in enhancing its communication capabilities.

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