ERBIL, Kurdistan Region of Iraq – SpaceX is in talks with Erbil to launch Starlink in the Kurdistan Region, Transportation and Communications Minister Ano Abdoka said Saturday, adding that a final agreement has not yet been reached.

“The SpaceX company, which provides Starlink services, has formally communicated with the Kurdistan Regional Government’s [KRG] Ministry of Transportation and Communications. The gentlemen at the general directorate for posts and delivery have held a formal meeting with SpaceX,” Abdoka told reporters.

He added that they are in constant contact with SpaceX, who have provided a draft contract that is under review by the ministry and the KRG’s Diwan of the Council of Ministers.

Starlink launched its services in Iraq on July 29 after Iraqi Prime Minister Ali al-Zaidi oversaw the signing of an agreement between Starlink and the Communications and Media Commission (CMC) during a visit to the United States earlier in July.

“Once we reach an agreement, we will inform the Kurdistan Region’s public, and it will be officially announced,” Abdoka said, adding that a final agreement has yet to be reached.

On Friday, Iraq’s communications authority warned that no official Starlink agents or resellers have been authorized in the country yet, threatening legal action against impersonators.

With the launch, Starlink can provide another internet option to the country and the Region, especially in areas that require more advanced connectivity solutions.

Starlink is a game-changer for remote areas, as it uses low-orbit satellites, which bypass the need for traditional cables or cell towers. It delivers high-speed internet directly to places that older, geostationary satellite internet or local providers cannot reach.

Iraq, and the Kurdistan Region, have many remote areas where network access is limited.

Starlink’s prices vary by country. In Iraq, the device costs around $350, and the base 100 megabytes-per-second subscription plan is around $87 per month. The US price for the same plan is $55 per month.

Baghdad’s agreement with Starlink was signed during a US-Iraq business summit hosted by the US Chamber of Commerce in Washington during Zaidi’s visit.