BEIRUT (AP) – Lebanon has granted licenses to Elon Musk’s Starlink to provide satellite internet services in the country,a move aimed at improving connectivity amid a crippling economic crisis and longstanding deficiencies in its telecommunications infrastructure. The decision, announced Thursday, comes as Lebanon struggles with frequent power outages and a dilapidated electricity sector that has left many reliant on costly private generators.
The move to authorize Starlink is a significant step toward bolstering Lebanon’s internet access,especially as the country’s state-run electricity company,Electricite du Liban (EDL),remains plagued by political interference and has cost state coffers approximately $40 billion as the end of the 1975-90 civil war. International organizations have long called for reforms in Lebanon’s electricity and telecommunications sectors, and the licensing of Starlink is seen as a potential workaround to existing systemic issues.
Naming a regulatory authority for Lebanon’s corruption-plagued electricity sector has been a key demand by international organizations. The naming of a regulatory authority for the electricity sector was supposed to be done more than 20 years ago but there have been repeated delays by the country’s authorities.The move is seen as a key reform for a sector that wastes over $1 billion a year in the small Mediterranean nation.
lebanon has faced decades of electricity cuts, a situation exacerbated by the economic meltdown that began in late 2019 and the 14-month Israel-hezbollah war that concluded in late November, which damaged infrastructure. the World Bank has described Lebanon’s economic crisis as one of the worst globally as the 1850s.
President michel Aoun and Prime Minister Nawaf Salam, who took office earlier this year, have pledged to implement reforms and combat corruption to address the economic crisis. In April, the World Bank announced a $250 million loan to help alleviate electricity cuts. The introduction of Starlink services is expected to provide an alternative for citizens and businesses seeking reliable internet access.
