Iraq says Starlink license fee transferred to Washington, paving way for formal rollout

BAGHDAD, Iraq — Iraq's Media and Communications Commission said on July 9, 2026, that the transfer of Starlink's licensing fee to Washington cleared the way for the formal announcement of the satellite internet license in the U.S. capital. Commission Executive Director Belig Abu Klel said the payment was a precondition for the official rollout of the license, which had already been approved by the Iraqi Council of Ministers in June. Abu Klel said thousands of Starlink devices were operating in Iraq without registration, and that the new framework would protect the country's digital sovereignty. Under the terms disclosed, Iraq will take a 9 percent share of Starlink's annual revenue, with 8 percent going directly to the treasury and 1 percent to a universal service fund. Telecommunications firms operating in Iraq will also be subject to the existing 15 percent tax. The commission said Starlink has committed to completing all access gateways within two years and to operating under Iraqi law and the security guarantees it has provided.