Nepal in tight spot as US seeks special treatment for Starlink

Nepal lags its neighbors in internet use, in part because of the challenge of connecting remote Himalayan communities. SpaceX has offered its Starlink satellite internet service to solve this, but the company is unwilling to accept a legal requirement that it share ownership of its Nepali operations with a local partner. (Nikkei illustration)Policy AsiaElon Musk offers SpaceX's internet service as alternative to Chinese-run networksDEEPAK ADHIKARIAugust 7, 2026 06:00 JST