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| Iraqi MP Warned against the "Starlink" satellite internet service project |
Iraqi MP Noor Adel warned against the "Starlink" satellite internet service project after the American company pledged to fully comply with Iraqi law and security requirements.
MP Noor Adel said that the continued American pressure to impose the "Starlink" project on Iraq is not a technological step, but rather an attempt to create an integrated satellite spy network outside the control of the state.
Adel added in a post on Facebook that "Iraq will not allow its airspace and data to be turned into a colony run from dark rooms in Washington."
She stressed "the need to preserve national sovereignty and prevent any project that affects the country's security or data."
The head of the Media and Communications Commission, Baligh Abu Kalal, confirmed that the satellite internet service “Starlink” is one step away from obtaining official licensing in Iraq, which is the transfer of the license fees to the commission’s account, and that the agreement will be signed and announced in Washington as soon as the transfer is completed.
Abu Kalal explained that "Iraq will receive 9% of the company's revenues (8% directly and 1% for the universal service), in addition to a 15% tax," noting that "the service prices will be similar to those in the region and will not impose additional burdens on citizens."
He stated that "thousands or tens of thousands of Starlink devices are currently operating illegally within Iraq," considering this a "violation of digital sovereignty," and stressing that the official license aims to regulate the service and subject it to Iraqi law.
The head of the commission stated that "the company has pledged to fully comply with the security requirements and decisions of the Media and Communications Commission and the Iraqi judiciary," noting that "the access gateways for the service will be completed inside Iraq within two years."
This comes after Communications Minister Mustafa Sand announced the legalization of the "Starlink" service in Iraq, and Elon Musk reposted the news of the license being granted, in a move that is considered an indication of the imminent official entry of satellite internet into the Iraqi market.
