Turkmenistan has entered into discussions with SpaceX’s Starlink satellite internet service to explore potential collaboration on telecommunications infrastructure and digital connectivity, marking a significant development in the Central Asian nation’s digital transformation efforts.
The discussions took place during the second Central Asia-US Business Forum (B5+1) held February 4-5, 2026, in Bishkek, Kyrgyzstan, Asia Business Outlook informs.
Turkmenistan’s Minister of Finance and Economy, Mammetguly Astanagulov, met with Rebecca Hunter, Director of Global Licensing and Market Activation at Starlink, according to multiple reports from Caspian News, Trend, and Business Turkmenistan.
Both parties expressed interest in establishing long-term cooperation focused on deploying modern satellite communication systems across Turkmenistan, Asia Business Outlook reports.
The discussions centered on leveraging high-tech infrastructure for national development and extending internet connectivity to remote regions of the country, Caspian News states.
The potential partnership aims to support Turkmenistan’s “Digital Turkmenistan” state program, which seeks to advance digital governance and infrastructure nationwide, according to Caspian News. A collaboration with Starlink would strategically benefit Turkmenistan by extending connectivity to remote areas where traditional fiber-optic cables are not feasible, the outlet notes.
This is not Turkmenistan’s first engagement with SpaceX. In April 2015, SpaceX launched Turkmenistan’s first national communications satellite, Turkmen Alem 52E, aboard a Falcon 9 rocket, Asia Business Outlook informs.
The satellite was built by Thales Alenia Space and reached geostationary orbit successfully, according to multiple space industry sources.
Caspian News reports that the Turkmen Alem 52E satellite is expected to reach the end of its service life around 2030-2031, and Turkmenistan has revealed intentions to deploy a second telecommunications satellite.
Starlink has been actively expanding its services throughout Central Asia. The satellite internet service officially launched in Kazakhstan in August 2025, Caspian News reports. According to earlier reporting from multiple sources, Starlink planned to launch services in Kyrgyzstan by the end of 2025, with Uzbekistan, Tajikistan, and Turkmenistan expected to follow in 2026.
Trend reports that Starlink, operated by SpaceX, is a satellite internet constellation providing high-speed, low-latency broadband to over 150 countries using thousands of satellites in low Earth orbit at an altitude of 550 kilometers.
The potential partnership could support the Middle Corridor trade route through improved digital tracking and regional technological alignment, Caspian News notes. The discussions also took place amid broader US-Turkmenistan diplomatic engagement, with Turkmenistan’s Foreign Minister Rashid Meredow holding telephone conversations with US Secretary of State Marco Rubio about trade and regional security, according to Caspian News.
SpaceX, founded by entrepreneur Elon Musk in 2002, specializes in the development and launch of rockets, satellite systems, and commercial space technologies, multiple sources confirm. The company’s Starlink division has become a leading provider of satellite internet services globally, particularly in regions with limited traditional telecommunications infrastructure. /// nCa, 12 February 2026