Azerbaijan explores Starlink internet service with SpaceX partnership

Rashad Nabiyev, Azerbaijan's Minister of Digital Development and Transport, announced on X that there have been talks about bringing Starlink's satellite broadband service to Azerbaijan, Azernews reports.

These discussions occurred during a meeting in Baku with Rebecca Slick Hunter, Starlink's Director of Global Licensing and Market Activation, who is visiting the city.

Last year, a cooperation agreement was signed between Azerbaijan's Space Agency, Azerkosmos, and the US company SpaceX (Space Exploration Technologies Corporation).

The contract was signed by Samaddin Asadov, Chairman of the Board of Azerkosmos, and Gwynne Shotwell, President and Chief Operating Officer of SpaceX.

The agreement stipulates that Azerkosmos and SpaceX will collaborate on distributing SpaceX's Starlink broadband satellite internet service in Azerbaijan.

Starlink’s satellite internet, which has already been successfully tested in Azerbaijan by Azerkosmos, will be available to users at sea, on land, along railways, and in remote work and information centers—essentially in areas with insufficient internet coverage.

Samaddin Asadov expressed his enthusiasm for partnering with a leading global technology company like SpaceX. “As a partner in providing Starlink internet services, we will enhance our advanced satellite technology offerings at sea and on land, overcoming the limitations of traditional telecommunication infrastructures,” said Asadov.

During the meeting, Gwynne Shotwell highlighted that this partnership represents a significant step towards the sustainable development of space collaboration between Azerbaijan and SpaceX. She also praised the International Astronautical Congress set to take place in Baku as a major global initiative and announced that SpaceX will be participating in the event.

Starlink, a SpaceX initiative led by Elon Musk, seeks to deliver high-speed internet to remote and underserved regions globally using a network of low-Earth orbit satellites.

The company SpaceX aims to provide internet access to every point on Earth through its Starlink satellite network. SpaceX began launching satellites into orbit in 2018 and has deployed over 4,000 satellites to date. These small satellites, produced in the USA, weigh between 230 and 260 kg and are expected to have a service life of 7 years. The Starlink satellites are placed in orbits at altitudes of 540 to 570 km above the Earth's surface, which is considered low Earth orbit.