Qatar’s Communications Regulatory Authority (CRA) has issued an Individual Licence for the Provision of Public Satellite Telecommunications Networks and Services to Starlink Satellite Qatar, a division of SpaceX, following permission from the Minister of Communications & Information Technology Mohammed bin Ali Al-Mannai, reports The Peninsula.
The licence authorises Starlink to provide satellite broadband internet services to individuals and enterprises across Qatar via SpaceX’s Low Earth Orbit (LEO) satellite constellation. Starlink Satellite Qatar will reportedly focus on both direct-to-consumer satellite internet and ‘Starlink Premium’ services for B2B and other high-demand users, enabling download speeds of 150Mbps-500Mbps and latency of 20ms-40ms, in addition to potential services supporting Qatari mobile network operators. Starlink’s offerings are expected to enhance availability of telecoms services in remote locations, including offshore zones for oil and gas platforms, sea vessels and aircraft, while other potential use cases include back-up communications throughout Qatar in the event of a major telecoms network outage.