February 17, 2025
THIMPHU – Starlink’s recent entry into the country promises high-speed connectivity, potentially disrupting the market long dominated by Bhutan Telecom and TashiCell—the two major telecom companies and internet service providers in Bhutan.
Starlink Services Private Limited announced its launch in Bhutan on February 11 via X, formerly Twitter, nearly seven months after the government initiated talks to introduce the service.
According to telecom licensing and regulatory body, Bhutan Information and Media Authority (BICMA), Starlink’s license allows it to only provide internet services through user terminals and does not authorise cellular services directly from Starlink satellites to mobile devices.
Starlink in Bhutan, as per BICMA, will offer residential, priority, mobile priority, roam and residential lite services.
With flexible service plans and a local payment gateway in development, the full impact of Starlink on affordability and accessibility is yet to be seen.
Cost vs. Performance
BICMA data shows that Starlink’s residential plan, priced at Nu 4,200 per month, provides download speeds of 25 to 110 megabits per-second (Mbps) and upload speeds of 5 to 10 Mbps, with unlimited data.
In comparison, Bhutan Telecom’s Internet Leased Line (ILL) service charges Nu 5,500 for 10 Mbps while TashiCell offers the same bandwidth for Nu 8,700.
For higher bandwidth, TashiCell’s ILL pricing structure ranges from Nu 935 per five to eight Mbps to Nu 550 per Mbps for connections exceeding 100 Mbps. For instance, a five Mbps plan from TashiCell under the ILL would cost Nu 4,675 while for 100 Mbps it would cost Nu 55,000.
The pricing structure for Starlink’s services offers flexibility. The priority plans, aimed at businesses and high-demand users, start at Nu 5,900 for 40 GB and go up to Nu 106,000 for six terabytes (TB), providing significantly higher data allowances than current offerings from local providers.
Starlink’s hardware ranges from Nu 17,000 for the Mini Starlink Kit to Nu 231,000 for the Flat High-Performance Kit, excluding shipping.
Experts say while the initial cost of Starlink equipment may deter some users, the long-term benefits of the high-speed and low-latency internet could outweigh the investment.
A major advantage of Starlink is its accessibility in remote areas where local internet service providers struggle with infrastructure limitations. This could be especially beneficial for businesses, educational institutions, healthcare centres and government agencies requiring reliable and high-speed internet.
Another key difference is the flexibility of Starlink’s plans compared to the fixed-rate structure of ILL services from Bhutan Telecom and TashiCell.
While ILL services are typically suited for businesses and institutions requiring dedicated bandwidth, Starlink’s offerings allow for scalability and flexibility, making them an attractive option for a wider range of users, from individual households to enterprises.
Currently, a standardised method of paying for Starlink through local banks is non-existent. However, Bhutanese customers will soon be able to make payments through a gateway which is currently being developed.
According to BICMA, Starlink Services Pvt. Limited is working to make its services available with local currency payments, after which, interested users can purchase Starlink equipment with Ngultrums rather than USD.