महेन्द्र मुस्कान मगर 
Starlink is keen to launch its satellite internet service in Nepal, but the company is still stuck waiting for government approval. Rebecca Hunter, a director at the company, met with Communications and IT Minister Dr. Bikram Timilsina on Wednesday and made clear that while Starlink wants in, policy and legal hurdles have been getting in the way.
During the meeting at the ministry, Hunter said the company has been pushing to secure the necessary license to operate in Nepal. She also made their position clear — Starlink wants to retain full ownership under whatever licensing structure is agreed on. That said, she mentioned they’ve already been in talks with a few local service providers about possible commercial partnerships.
Minister Timilsina, for his part, said there’s no reason the company can’t operate here as long as they follow existing telecom policy and go through the proper channels — same as any other foreign investor.
While all this back-and-forth continues, the demand for reliable internet in Nepal’s remote and high-altitude regions keeps growing. Trekkers and tourism operators around Everest Base Camp have long complained about expensive, patchy connectivity. Right now, Nepali providers like Everest Link and Air Link cover parts of the Everest region, but above Base Camp, unauthorized foreign satellite devices are apparently pretty common. Nepal Telecom Authority has already put out notices warning people against using such services illegally.
If Starlink does eventually get the go-ahead, it could be a real game-changer for connectivity in those hard-to-reach areas. But for now, the ball is squarely in the government’s court.
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