Starlink in Lebanon: Digital revolution or incoming turbulence?

After years of digital instability, Lebanon is stepping into a new era with the arrival of Starlink, Elon Musk’s satellite-based Internet service. Seen by some as a spark of innovation and by others as a threat to the fragile balance of the telecom sector, the technology raises as many hopes as questions about how it was introduced, its economic impact, and its implications for national data sovereignty.

In a country where a single power cut can knock out an entire neighborhood’s Internet connection, the government’s authorization of Starlink marks a significant milestone. On October 8, the Council of Ministers approved a two-year license allowing the satellite network to operate in Lebanon, following six months of negotiations between SpaceX and the Ministry of Telecommunications.

Sources at the ministry told The Beiruter that Starlink’s representation offices are expected to begin operating within two to three months signaling, for the first time, the physical establishment of Starlink infrastructure in Lebanon.

The move is driven by a dual objective: modernizing a struggling telecom sector and providing a stable alternative in a country where terrestrial infrastructure remains vulnerable to political, technical, and energy-related crises.

How does Starlink work?

Starlink operates through a constellation of low-Earth-orbit satellites that deliver Internet connectivity directly to an antenna installed at the user’s location. This architecture enables: stable connectivity even during power cuts, partial independence from Lebanon’s damaged network systems, wide coverage reaching even the most remote regions.

According to ministry sources, Starlink responds primarily to two urgent needs: digital redundancy for businesses, and connectivity in rural areas often overlooked by traditional operators.

For now, Starlink will be reserved exclusively for corporate clients. A minimum subscription price has been imposed: no plan may be sold for less than $100, in order to prevent unfair competition with local Internet providers.

In short, Starlink is positioned as a high-end backup service, a digital safety net for institutions that require stable connectivity not as a replacement for existing market players.

Under the license agreement, Starlink must pay: $25,000 in annual fixed fees, paid upfront for two years, 25% of its gross revenues, an exceptionally high rate by global standards. This model aims to boost public revenue, modernize digital infrastructure, and strengthen network security.

Complaints emerge: competition, transparency, and market imbalance

While Starlink represents a major technological advance, its introduction has sparked controversy within Lebanon’s telecom sector.

Imad Tarabey (Cedarcom) argues that “this is not fair competition.” The Chairman and CEO says he supports technological progress but questions the way Starlink was brought into the country. “Starlink’s pricing makes any fair competition impossible. Internet distributors warned the ministry, but their concerns went unanswered,” he said. Presenting Starlink merely as a backup system fails to address deeper structural issues, he added especially the dominance of illegal Internet networks that serve a large portion of the population.

Tarabey also notes that Starlink operates under the exclusive authority of the Ministry, whereas traditional providers fall under the Telecommunications Regulatory Authority (TRA). Several companies have filed complaints before the Majles al-Choura to contest what they describe as an unequal regulatory framework.

A threat to data sovereignty, warns SMEX

The digital-rights organization SMEX, a Lebanese NGO specializing in Internet governance and data protection, offers a more institutional critique.

For SMEX, Starlink should be viewed as a complementary service, a backup, not a replacement for the national network. The NGO recalls that several regional countries, including Saudi Arabia, Qatar, and the UAE, already rely on Starlink as a continuity tool rather than a primary service.

But the organization warns of several risks. First, Lebanon introduced Starlink without establishing a transparent competitive framework, granting the license to a single operator and excluding the possibility of multiple satellite providers.

SMEX points to Article 491 of Lebanon’s Telecommunications Law, which states that natural resources such as radio frequencies belong to the State and must be managed within a regulated, transparent framework. The procedure used for Starlink, the NGO argues, does not fully align with this principle.

Second, all data transmitted via Starlink will pass through a processing hub in Qatar. Lebanon will only have access to the traffic flow, not the underlying data.

For SMEX, this raises a dual concern: Lebanese user data will be managed in a foreign jurisdiction. The State loses a degree of control over its informational infrastructure an issue directly tied to digital sovereignty.

Starlink could usher in a promising digital transformation, offering stability, innovation, and connectivity in a country long marked by systemic fragility. Yet its arrival also revives fundamental debates about competition, governance, transparency, data protection, and national sovereignty.

In other words: Lebanon may be looking to the skies for solutions… but it still needs to clarify the path ahead.