Kurdistan
Hiwa Afandi, head of the Kurdistan Regional Government’s (KRG) Department of Information Technology, speaking to Rudaw on November 21, 2024. Photo: Screengrab/Rudaw
ERBIL, Kurdistan Region - The satellite-based Starlink internet could bypass internet blockades against the Kurdistan Region during regional and political disputes, a Kurdistan Regional Government (KRG) Information Technology official said on Thursday.
“The internet of the Kurdistan Region comes from its neighbors,” Hiwa Afandi, head of the KRG’s Department of Information Technology, told Rudaw’s Hiwa Jamal, emphasizing the vulnerability of the Region’s connectivity if a dispute arises and faces an internet blockade.
“An internet that is directly connected to satellites may be an essential way for the Kurdistan Region to overcome such a blockade,” he explained.
Starlink, a satellite-based internet service developed by Elon Musk’s SpaceX, uses a network of low-Earth orbit satellites to provide broadband access. The technology is designed to offer connectivity in areas with limited or no traditional internet infrastructure.
Starlinks’ services are not available in Iraq and the Kurdistan Region. Afandi said he acquired the subscription and the equipment for the technology from Sweden.
“The main reason [for the purchase] was to test these technologies technically,” Afandi said, adding that he tested whether sufficient bandwidth coverage could be achieved in the Kurdistan Region.
“It is very important for us to be closely aware of the most advanced technologies,” he said.
Afandi noted that Starlink’s coverage is adequate and installation is straightforward, requiring only the setup of a flat dish, adding that there are no technical issues with the usage of the technology.
Afandi said that the challenges to implementing Starlink in the Kurdistan Region would not be technical but “administrative” and would require an agreement between the company and Iraqi authorities to make the service available in the country.
Regarding the cost, he estimated that prices in the Kurdistan Region or Iraq for a residential subscription would likely be lower than in other countries.
“Because it is also taxed in Sweden, it is [costs] around 50 dollars,” he said, adding that if an agreement is reached, the service could cost approximately 30 to 40 dollars locally.
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