Satellite connectivity is growing fast. As of mid-2025, SpaceX’s Starlink has more than 6 million active users in around 136 countries and has launched over 7,600 satellites into space. The network now offers Direct-to-Cell service, which lets regular smartphones connect directly to satellites, along with internet solutions for ships, planes, and rural areas. These improvements make it possible for AI tools like Perplexity AI, AI Genie 3, and iOS 26 to work smoothly even in remote parts of Bangladesh.
The Global Shift in Satellite Connectivity
Satellite connectivity used to be something only ships, research stations, or disaster relief teams needed. But in the last three years, it has grown fast and is becoming an important part of everyday communication.
The latest achievement from Starlink, SpaceX’s low Earth orbit satellite project, is more than just another company update. It shows that the global internet is entering a new phase where mobile networks, AI services, and satellites work closely together.
In Bangladesh, this is becoming a reality. Combining Starlink internet with mobile technologies like quad-curved displays and AI assistants such as Perplexity AI and Google’s AI Genie 3 can help rural areas get better connectivity. Add wireless charging to the mix, and devices can stay connected without worrying about battery life.
Why Does This Milestone Matter?
Satellite connectivity is reaching a new level. Starlink’s latest numbers are changing how we think about internet access:
- 6 million subscribers in ~136 countries as of June 2025.
- Over 7,600 active satellites forming the world’s largest private communications network.
- Deployment speed is so aggressive that projections point to 12,000 satellites by 2027.
Satellite connectivity is no longer just a fancy number. Each satellite acts like a point in a network, covering areas where normal telecom towers are too expensive to build from the middle of the Bay of Bengal to the hills of Chittagong.
And here’s the exciting part is Direct-to-Cell technology. You won’t need special devices anymore. Soon, regular iOS 26 or Android OS 16 smartphones will connect directly to satellites. This means you can send an emergency SOS, use AI-powered navigation, and send messages instantly even where your usual SIM network doesn’t work.
The Game-Changing Features of Starlink 2025
Direct-to-Cell Service
Satellite connectivity has reached a new milestone with Starlink now working directly with regular smartphones. In August 2025, Ukraine became the first country to successfully test this, sending and receiving text messages on normal mobile phones connected straight to Starlink satellites.
The commercial rollout is planned for late 2025 in some regions, and full data services are expected by early 2026. This technology will change disaster response, military communication, and access in remote areas. In Bangladesh, it could help farmers in faraway villages get real-time AI weather alerts or allow fishermen to receive storm warnings while out at sea.
Maritime & Aviation Connectivity
Satellite connectivity could bring huge benefits to Bangladesh’s shipping and airline industries. Starlink’s maritime kits and in-flight internet provide fast connections even across the oceans, allowing:
- Shipping companies to track their cargo in real time.
- Ships and planes to use AI-based navigation for smarter, faster routes.
- Passengers on flights enjoy Wi-Fi for work or entertainment.
Airlines like United and Qatar Airways are already using Starlink Wi-Fi. Biman Bangladesh Airlines could also adopt it, offering passengers a modern, competitive travel experience.
Industrial and Agricultural Applications
Satellite connectivity is helping farmers in Bangladesh get smarter about their crops. Starlink has joined with CNH to bring precision farming to rural areas. This means farmers can use real-time AI tools to predict crop yields, check soil health, and manage irrigation better.
For example:
- Drones with mobile screens send live crop health data through Starlink to AI servers.
- Farmers get guidance in Bangla directly on their smartphones using tools like Perplexity AI.
- This makes farming easier, more efficient, and more productive for communities across Bangladesh.
Technical Hurdles
Weather Disruptions
- Satellite Throughput Under Rain: Satellite connectivity can be affected by weather. A 2025 study in northern Europe (Oulu, Finland) tested Starlink using the FHP terminal and found that during heavy rain, upload speeds dropped by 52.3% and download speeds fell by 37.8%, while the time it took for data to travel back and forth stayed almost the same.
- Other Weather Impacts: Both satellite and 5G signals are sensitive to heavy rain, dense snow, and thick clouds. These conditions can make speeds slower or even cause temporary outages.
- Hybrid Networks Still Essential: This is why using a mix of networks like fiber, 5G, and satellite is important. Fiber is the most reliable in bad weather, while satellite and 5G help cover areas where laying cables is difficult.
Spectrum Licensing & Global Harmonization
- U.S. Spectrum Policy: Satellite connectivity is becoming more important as the demand for mid-band spectrum grows. A 2025 Accenture/CTIA report warns that there could soon be a shortage of this spectrum. If countries around the world could use the 3.3 to 8.5 GHz range together, it could create up to $300 billion in economic benefits each year in the U.S.
- Legislative Moves: In response, the U.S. introduced the Spectrum Pipeline Act of 2025, which would require auctions for the 1.3 GHz to 13.2 GHz bands. This shows that policymakers are actively trying to make more spectrum available.
- Regulatory Update: On July 31, 2025, the FCC updated its rules for non-geostationary orbit fixed satellite services under 47 CFR 25.261. This helps regulate satellite operations more clearly.
- Broader Policy Dialogue: The Technology Policy Institute’s 2025 Spectrum Agenda and Winter Series have brought together policy and industry leaders to discuss important challenges like spectrum sharing and licensing. However, making global spectrum use consistent and harmonized is still a work in progress.
Space Debris & Collision Risk
- Scale of the Problem: Satellite connectivity is becoming more important as space grows crowded. The European Space Agency (ESA) reported in 2025 that about 40,000 objects are being tracked in space, including around 11,000 active satellites. But in reality, there are over 1.2 million pieces of debris larger than 1 cm and more than 50,000 larger than 10 cm. By early 2024, low-Earth orbit (LEO) had over 14,000 satellites and nearly 120 million debris fragments.
- Escalating Collision Risk: Space is getting very crowded. Some parts of LEO now have as much debris as active satellites. The United Nations says that of all this debris, only a few thousand pieces can be tracked. Close approaches between satellites and debris increased by 17% in just one year. The UN is asking countries to share data and create common rules to prevent accidents.
- Collision Avoidance & Automation: ESA is using automated technologies to avoid collisions and alert operators quickly. In 2025, research is also looking at using fully homomorphic encryption to check collision risks securely without sharing sensitive orbital data.
- Multiplying Risks Due to Climate Change: MIT study shows that climate change could make it harder to naturally remove debris from orbit. By the end of the century, usable low-Earth orbit cleaning capacity could shrink by 33% to 82%, because atmospheric drag, which burns up debris, depends on air density.
- Global Cooperation Still Lags: A UN-led initiative is working on international space traffic rules similar to those for civil aviation, but political and business challenges, like reluctance to share data, remain.
Why Should Bangladesh Care?
Satellite connectivity could change how we use the internet in Bangladesh. If you are in Dhaka, Chattogram, or Sylhet, your mobile internet may feel fine. But over 40% of rural Bangladesh still has slow or no internet at all.
- Remote schools with AI Genie 3 tutors: Satellite connectivity is making life easier in rural Bangladesh. Remote schools can now use AI Genie 3 tutors even in areas with poor infrastructure. Still, the cost may be too high for some families.
- Fishing vessels live-streaming locations: Fishing boats can livestream their locations using Starlink’s reliable satellite connectivity. But whether each boat adopts it depends on the cost and government rules.
- Villagers accessing telemedicine via advanced smartphones: Villagers can access telemedicine through advanced smartphones if Starlink-backed mobile broadband reaches them. Services on iOS 26 or Android 16 devices are possible, but it will also depend on people having the devices and knowing how to use them.
Final Thoughts
Satellite connectivity is becoming more important than ever. It will not just support our regular networks, it will work alongside them as an equal part of our digital world. Bangladesh has a chance to close connectivity gaps quickly by using Starlink internet together with Artificial General Intelligence, improved mobile displays, and new operating systems like iOS 26 and Android OS 16.
This is no longer science fiction. It is ready to use, and the main question is how fast we will start using it.
