Iraq officially licenses Starlink satellite internet

Baghdad (IraqiNews.com) – Iraq’s Communications and Media Commission (CMC) confirmed on Sunday, September 27, 2026, that satellite internet provider Starlink has secured an official operational license, formally legalizing its low Earth orbit (LEO) satellite broadband services across Iraqi territory. Speaking to the official state news agency, CMC Chief Executive Officer Baligh Abu Kalal dismissed claims that Iraqi telecommunications traffic and user data are hosted or routed through Qatar, stating that federal security authorities maintain complete sovereign oversight over all network operations and registered hardware within the country. The licensing milestone follows public contention between federal regulatory bodies and the Ministry of Communications. In mid-August 2026, Minister of Communications Mustafa Sanad argued that the ground gateway servicing Iraq was located in Qatar, raising sovereignty concerns regarding regional content filtering, pornography blocks, and executive internet throttling during national examinations and public demonstrations. Sanad had framed terrestrial Fiber-to-the-Home (FTTH) expansion as Iraq’s premier digital priority against foreign satellite conglomerates. Responding to these concerns, Abu Kalal clarified that Starlink’s regulatory framework incorporates a rigorous security annex, granting Iraqi intelligence and regulatory apparatuses real-time visibility into all active terminals, user registries, and equipment distributed nationally. Abu Kalal explained that while initial deployment encountered minor delays due to multi-agency security vetting, the first batch of customer subscription terminals has been released, with sequential hardware shipments proceeding smoothly to fulfill pending consumer orders via the company’s official portal. Although Starlink originally scheduled the construction of domestic terrestrial ground stations within two years, surging local demand has prompted expedited bilateral negotiations to install local ground gateways across Iraq ahead of schedule. The CMC executive stressed that satellite internet governance relies fundamentally on sovereign licensing frameworks, statutory compliance, and contractual obligations, ensuring that national security protocols remain fully enforced regardless of atmospheric broadcast mechanics.