Yemen Becomes First Middle Eastern Country to Access Starlink Satellite Internet
Yemen has made history as the first nation in the Middle East to gain access to Elon Musk’s Starlink satellite internet service. This development comes as Musk aims to extend support to countries grappling with crises and remote regions lacking reliable connectivity.
On Wednesday, Musk announced via X, the social media platform he oversees, that Starlink services are now operational in Yemen.
According to a world map on Starlink’s website, Yemen is the only country in the Middle East where it is available. The rest of the Arab world is labelled as ‘waitlist’, pending regulatory approval, excluding Syria and Iraq which are not labelled.
The UK, US, parts of Latin America and Africa and Australia and south Asia all have connection, which displays countries where Starlink is available, on a waitlist, or ‘coming soon’.
While Starlink’s ability to connect remote areas or crisis zones to the internet has been commended, scientists have recently expressed concern that its radio waves might be blocking astronomical research. One scientist interviewed in a BBC report said that SpaceX is launching 40 second-generation Starlink satellites every week into space.