KRG Advances 5G and Starlink Plans Amid Baghdad Coordination
Erbil could become Iraq's first city to offer 5G services as the KRG completes preparations and works with Baghdad on remaining regulatory issues.
ERBIL (Kurdistan24) - Erbil could become the first location in Iraq to provide fifth-generation, or 5G, services as the Kurdistan Region completes technical preparations and works with federal authorities to resolve outstanding communications issues.
Dr. Jamal Barzinji, Director General at the Kurdistan Regional Government's Ministry of Transport and Communications, told Kurdistan24 that preparations for introducing 5G technology in the Region have been completed.
The remaining step, he said, is coordination with Baghdad and the relevant federal institutions before the service can become operational.
Barzinji said the issue was among the main topics discussed during a recent KRG delegation visit to Baghdad, where representatives met with the Iraqi Ministry of Communications and the Communications and Media Commission.
The two sides agreed to establish a joint committee responsible for identifying outstanding issues in the communications sector and taking the necessary measures to resolve them.
The planned committee is intended to address broader differences between the Kurdistan Region and the federal government while allowing projects such as 5G to move forward through coordinated regulatory procedures.
According to Barzinji, the 5G service could begin operating by the end of 2026 or at the beginning of 2027, depending on progress in coordination with the federal authorities.
He said Erbil was in a position to become the first place in Iraq where the technology is made available to citizens.
The federal communications minister had previously acknowledged that the Kurdistan Region had made notable progress in preparations for 5G and was ahead in the process, according to Barzinji.
The development would represent another step in the Kurdistan Region's effort to expand its communications and technology infrastructure.
While the technical preparations have been completed locally, the timeline remains tied to agreement with Baghdad, making federal-KRG coordination central to the launch.
Barzinji also addressed the status of Starlink satellite internet services in the Kurdistan Region.
He said a draft agreement has been prepared at the KRG Council of Ministers and is awaiting approval before the government can move toward reaching an agreement with SpaceX.
No company or individual has yet been officially authorized to act as a Starlink equipment seller in the Kurdistan Region, he added.
The comments indicate that the KRG is pursuing two parallel tracks in communications technology: completing the regulatory process required for 5G while preparing the legal and administrative framework for possible Starlink operations.
For 5G, the immediate focus remains on the joint process with Baghdad. Once the outstanding issues are addressed and federal coordination is completed, Erbil could become the first Iraqi city to introduce the new generation of mobile connectivity.
The expected launch by the end of this year or early next year will therefore depend not on further technical preparations in the Kurdistan Region, but on completing the remaining coordination and regulatory steps with the federal government.