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Lebanon Approves Starlink License To Provide Internet Nationwide
The government has finally granted Starlink a license to operate nationwide for business users, with packages starting at $100 a month.
Lebanon has granted Starlink a license to provide services across the country, ending months of negotiations between the government and Elon Musk’s satellite internet provider.
Tony Saad, spokesperson for Telecommunications Minister Charles Hage, confirmed that Starlink established a local entity to secure the license. The service will be limited to companies rather than individuals, with packages starting at $100 per month.
Talks began in early 2025 after Lebanese President Joseph Aoun met with Sam Turner, Starlink’s Global Director of Licensing and Development. Turner argued satellite connectivity could support sectors including industry, banking, education and government services.
The presidency later disclosed that Aoun spoke directly with Musk by phone, extending an invitation to visit Beirut. Musk reportedly expressed interest in Lebanon’s telecom market and said he would consider travelling when timing allowed. Aoun’s office said the government was prepared to provide the necessary facilitation under the country’s legal and regulatory framework.
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Lebanon has struggled for years with some of the slowest and most expensive internet in the region. High mobile data costs, underinvestment and mismanagement have left infrastructure fragile and businesses reliant on patchy connections. Officials hope Starlink’s entry will give companies more reliable access, though consumer availability remains uncertain.
The license marks a rare step forward for a sector still weakened by corruption and debt.
News
Nano Banana 2 Arrives In MENA For Google Gemini Users
Google brings its latest image model to Gemini and Search, adding 4K output and tighter text control for regional users.
Google has opened access to Nano Banana 2 across the Middle East and North Africa, pushing its newest image model into everyday tools rather than keeping it inside the exclusive (and expensive) Pro tier.
The rollout spans the Google Gemini desktop and mobile apps, and extends to Google Search through Lens and AI Mode. Developers can also test it in preview via AI Studio and the Gemini API.
Nano Banana 2 runs on Gemini Flash, Google’s fast inference layer. The focus is speed, but also control. Users can export visuals from 512px up to 4K, adjusting aspect ratios for everything from vertical social posts to widescreen displays.
The model maintains character likeness across up to five figures and preserves fidelity for as many as 14 objects within a single workflow. This enables visual continuity across scenes, iterations, or edits — supporting projects like short films, storyboards, and multi-scene narratives. Text rendering has also been improved, delivering legible typography in mockups and greeting cards, with built-in translation and localization directly within images.
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Under the hood, the system taps Gemini’s broader knowledge base and pulls in real-time information and imagery from web search to render specific subjects more accurately. Lighting and fine detail have been upgraded, without slowing output.
By embedding the model inside Gemini and Search, Google is normalizing advanced image generation for a mass audience. In MENA, where startups and marketing teams are leaning heavily on AI to scale content across languages and borders, that shift lands at a practical moment.
The move also folds creative tooling deeper into search itself, so that image generation is no longer a separate workflow. It now sits right next to the query box.
Nano Banana 2 Arrives In MENA For Google Gemini Users
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