LEBANON (Enmaeya News) - October 9, 2025

Lebanon's Cabinet has officially signed a decree on Tuesday granting a two-year license for Starlink, the satellite internet service operated by Elon Musk's SpaceX, according to L’Orient Today.

Under the terms of the license, Starlink will provide internet distribution services across the country. Starlink is also required to pay the Lebanese Telecommunications Ministry a fixed annual fee of $25,000, payable in advance for two years.

The company must also submit 25% of its gross subscriber revenues every three months, within 30 days of the end of each period.

The decision was made following six months of negotiations, with the Lebanese government granting Starlink's request to operate in Lebanon on September 11. The company has since established local offices in the country.

The decree specifies that the license does not grant Starlink any exclusive rights, nor does it prevent the granting of similar licenses to other providers.

This means that Starlink will not hold a monopoly over satellite internet services in Lebanon.

In July, Prime Minister Nawaf Salam met with a delegation from the French group Eutelsat, which also offers satellite internet services.

While no agreement has been reached yet, discussions with Eutelsat remain open, according to a source familiar with the matter.

Officials have stated that the decision aligns with the objectives of the Telecommunications Ministry, which include modernizing Lebanon's telecommunications infrastructure and ensuring the availability of reliable, high-quality internet services.

Privacy concerns have been raised by experts and citizens alike regarding the deployment of Starlink in Lebanon over concerns that these internet systems may pose risks to user data security and privacy.