Lebanon Tech

Starlink in Lebanon: legal status, prices and alternatives

Starlink is legal in Lebanon only for companies, ships, aircraft and listed public bodies, embassies and NGOs. Here are the decisions behind the licence, the import rules, alfa's prices and the alternatives for households.

IT Magazine Staff November 14, 2026 · 10 min read

Last updated: November 2026

Starlink is legal in Lebanon, but only for some users. As of November 2026, the government has licensed a local company, Starlink Lebanon S.A.L., to sell satellite internet to commercial companies, ships and aircraft, and, on an exceptional basis, to listed public bodies, embassies and civil society groups. Households and individuals cannot subscribe, private imports of dishes are banned, and the only official reseller so far is the mobile operator alfa.

This guide sets out the decisions behind the licence, the rules for users, what the service costs and the alternatives for anyone who does not qualify.

Is Starlink licensed in Lebanon?

Yes. The cabinet approved a licence for Starlink Lebanon on 11 September 2025, announced by Information Minister Paul Morcos. Digital rights group SMEX identifies it as cabinet Decision No. 5 of that date. The licence itself was granted by Decree No. 1495 of 7 October 2025, which L’Orient Today reported gives Starlink a two-year licence to distribute internet across Lebanon using SpaceX satellites.

The detailed operating rules came later. The Telecommunications Regulatory Authority (TRA), whose new board was appointed by Decree No. 1328 of 19 September 2025, issued Decision No. 2/2026 setting the technical, operational and investment conditions for Starlink Lebanon. It was published in the Official Gazette (issue 4) on 22 January 2026, after the State Shura Council gave its opinion on 23 December 2025.

The main points of the TRA decision are:

No monopoly. The licence grants no exclusive rights and does not prevent similar licences for others.
Two years, renewable. Starlink Lebanon must apply for renewal at least two months before expiry.
No gateways or wholesale. The company may not build, run or rent international gateways, sell data capacity to third parties, or act as an infrastructure provider.
Price floor. The company must set a minimum price of USD 100 a month for its internet packages.
Fees to the state. USD 25,000 a year, paid two years in advance, plus 25% of gross subscriber billing in Lebanon, paid quarterly, and a renewable bank guarantee of USD 150,000.
Security approval. Commercial service needs approval from the Ministry of Defence and the Ministry of Interior and Municipalities after final tests.

On 5 March 2026, citing “exceptional circumstances” during the war, the cabinet amended the September 2025 decision. Annahar and SMEX reported that the change widened eligibility to government bodies, embassies and NGOs, and gave the telecommunications minister power over the list of eligible entities.

Timeline of government decisions

Date	Event
29 May 2025	President Joseph Aoun and Telecommunications Minister Charles Hajj receive Starlink licensing director Sam Turner in Beirut.
26 June 2025	Aoun speaks to Elon Musk by phone and offers facilities “within the framework of Lebanese laws”.
11 September 2025	Cabinet approves a licence for Starlink Lebanon (Decision No. 5).
7 October 2025	Decree No. 1495 grants a two-year, non-exclusive licence.
5 November 2025	Terranet and data service provider Cable One file an appeal at the State Shura Council to annul the decree.
22 January 2026	TRA Decision No. 2/2026 on Starlink’s operating conditions is published in the Official Gazette.
5 March 2026	Cabinet widens eligibility to public bodies, embassies and NGOs.
17 March 2026	TRA publishes its Starlink FAQ.
June 2026	An unlicensed company, Lebanon Net, advertises Starlink pre-orders; the TRA says it is not authorised.
18 September 2026	Alfa signs its distribution agreement with Starlink.
23 September 2026	TRA updates its FAQ: the service is commercially launched and operating under a testing period.
4 November 2026	Prime Minister Nawaf Salam reviews the rollout with alfa; 37 public and humanitarian entities activated and more than 100 companies subscribed.

Who can use Starlink, and who cannot

The TRA’s FAQ, last updated on 23 September 2026, lists three groups that may use the service:

Commercial companies operating in Lebanon, for their own business activities.
Maritime and aviation connectivity within Lebanese territory and territorial waters.
Official bodies, ministries, departments, embassies and civil society organisations on a list issued by the telecommunications minister.

The same FAQ is explicit about what is not allowed:

Individual and household subscriptions are not authorised under any category.
A company may not give each employee a dish for use at home.
Tourists and visitors may not use Starlink roaming in Lebanon, and roaming on dishes bought abroad is banned even for eligible companies.
Nobody may sell, market, install or activate Starlink services unless formally appointed by Starlink.

A company with several sites may buy several dishes, but all must sit under a single account managed centrally. It may also carry Starlink connectivity to its branches over its own private network, as long as the service is used only for its own activities.

Importing a dish and customs

Private imports are not permitted. Under TRA Decision No. 2/2026, only Starlink Lebanon may import user terminals, and it needs an import licence from the Ministry of Telecommunications. Every terminal must pass the TRA’s type approval before import and be registered with Lebanese Customs before it reaches the market. Users must complete Know Your Customer (KYC) checks, which verify the user’s identity, address and equipment, before service starts.

There is one route for dishes already in the country. The TRA says an eligible entity may use a previously imported dish if it has completed type approval, Starlink’s KYC process, and customs and security clearance backed by proof of payment. A dish brought in a suitcase and run on a foreign roaming plan does not meet these rules.

Coverage and the official map

The availability data behind Starlink’s own coverage map marks Lebanon as “launched” as of November 2026. That label covers the whole country, but Lebanese rules still limit who may subscribe, and the TRA decision lets security agencies require the service to be suspended in specific areas under Law 140 of 1999 on the secrecy of communications.

The first activation was in Rmeish, a southern town, according to the account of the 4 November 2026 meeting published by Daily Beirut. The first phase covered 20 ministries, public institutions and security agencies (including Ogero and the central bank), 11 hospitals, three embassies, two NGOs and the Rmeish municipality.

Prices as of November 2026

Alfa describes itself as a reseller of Starlink devices and services for corporate customers, open to alfa and non-alfa subscribers. Its published prices, excluding VAT, are:

Item	Monthly equivalent	Annual payment
Starlink Kit (one-time)	Not applicable	USD 550
500 GB monthly bundle	USD 175	USD 2,100
1 TB monthly bundle	USD 299	USD 3,588
Extra 500 GB top-up	USD 150, valid to the end of the current data cycle

All plans carry a 12-month commitment paid in advance. Unused data does not roll over, and once the allowance runs out the service continues at reduced speed unless a top-up is bought. The data cycle runs from the first to the last day of the calendar month, so a plan activated mid-month gets a prorated allowance.

For a sense of scale, a first-year subscription on the 500 GB plan costs USD 2,650 before VAT once the kit is included. Ogero’s own fibre and DSL plan list prices a 500 GB package at up to 300 Mbps at LBP 2,450,000 a month plus 11% VAT, which LBCI put at about USD 27 when it compared the two in September 2025.

Risks and open questions

Pending legal challenges. Cable One and Terranet argued before the State Shura Council that a public service concession needs a law passed by parliament, that Starlink competes unfairly because it does not buy international capacity from the state, and that user data is held in Qatar. L’Orient Today reported several appeals. No ruling has been published.
Data handling. The TRA decision requires real-time mirroring of Starlink Lebanon user data to Ogero servers at SpaceX’s point of presence in Doha, with Ogero responsible for the data under Law 81 of 2018 on electronic transactions and personal data. The TRA can order any user’s service suspended for legal or security reasons, and Starlink must comply within 48 hours.
Sanctions and access. SMEX researcher Abed Kataya told The New Arab that US sanctions could lead a US provider to suspend service in areas such as the Beqaa, Beirut’s southern suburbs and the south.
Physical limits. Kassem Mnejja of Access Now told The New Arab that Starlink needs electricity and a clear view of the sky, and cannot keep ordinary users connected if mobile towers are destroyed.
Unofficial sellers. SMEX reported that Lebanon Net advertised pre-orders in June 2026 without authorisation. The TRA’s rule is simple: only parties appointed by Starlink may sell.

Alternatives for everyone else

Ogero fibre and DSL

Ogero, the state operator, sells fibre, DSL and LTE home plans. Unlimited plans start at up to 6 Mbps for LBP 1,250,000 a month, with speed cut after a fair usage limit. Limited plans go up to 2,000 GB at up to 300 Mbps for LBP 6,300,000. Fibre installation costs LBP 750,000 plus the modem and in-building wiring. You need an Ogero landline to subscribe.

Licensed ISPs and data service providers

Private internet service providers resell Ogero’s network under TRA licensing. The TRA issued a new licensing framework for ISPs without frequencies (Decision No. 7/2026, Official Gazette 21 May 2026) and Decision No. 4/2026 to stop unlicensed internet networks. A judicial order reported on 10 November 2026 gives the TRA three months to move subscribers of illegal networks to legal ones at ten Ogero exchanges, so check that your neighbourhood provider is licensed before you sign up.

Alfa and touch mobile data, including 5G

Mobile data from Lebanon’s two operators is the main option for most people without fixed lines. Alfa launched 5G on 30 July 2026 in Downtown Beirut, Antelias, Dekwaneh, the Port of Beirut area and the Presidential Palace in Baabda, with Dbayeh, the airport, Adlieh and Jounieh next and 75 more sites planned. Touch said it would activate its first 15 5G sites by the end of August 2026.

Other satellite options

No second satellite operator is licensed yet. The licence is non-exclusive, and the government has held talks with Eutelsat OneWeb: Hajj presented the results of negotiations with Eutelsat to the cabinet in November 2025, and on 4 November 2026 Salam said the government was negotiating with OneWeb for a competing service.

Comparison of connection options

Option	Who can get it	Published cost	Strengths	Limits
Starlink via alfa	Companies, ships, aircraft, listed public bodies, embassies and NGOs	USD 550 kit; from USD 2,100 a year (500 GB), excl. VAT	Works without local cables; useful as backup	No households; 12-month prepaid contract; data caps
Ogero fibre or DSL	Anyone with an Ogero landline	From LBP 1,250,000 a month plus VAT	Cheapest per gigabyte; up to 300 Mbps on fibre	Fibre not available everywhere; depends on local power and exchanges
Licensed ISP or DSP	Anyone in the provider’s area	Set by each provider	Local support; wide reach	Must confirm the provider is licensed
Alfa or touch 4G/5G	Any mobile subscriber	Set by operator bundles	No installation; 5G in parts of Greater Beirut	5G coverage limited; towers vulnerable in conflict
Eutelsat OneWeb	Not available	Not published	Would add a second satellite option	Still in negotiation

FAQ

Can I legally use Starlink at home in Lebanon?

No. As of November 2026, the TRA says individual and residential subscriptions are not authorised, and companies may not give employees dishes for home use.

Can I bring a Starlink dish from abroad and use roaming?

No. Private imports are banned and Starlink roaming is not permitted, even on dishes owned by eligible companies. Only Starlink Lebanon may import terminals.

How does a company subscribe?

Through the official Starlink website or alfa, the only appointed distributor so far. Alfa provides the document requirements and an application form on its Starlink business page.

How much does Starlink cost in Lebanon?

Through alfa, the kit costs USD 550 and plans start at USD 2,100 a year for 500 GB a month, excluding VAT. The licence sets a floor of USD 100 a month.

Does the state see Starlink traffic data?

The TRA decision requires user data to be mirrored in real time to Ogero servers in Doha and allows security agencies to request suspensions and information under Lebanese law.

Is the licence final?

The decree and TRA conditions are in force, but appeals filed at the State Shura Council in November 2025 had no published ruling as of November 2026.

Sources

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