Billionaire entrepreneur Elon Musk has held a phone conversation with Lebanese President Joseph Aoun  in a bid to explore opportunities for extending elements of Musk’s vast business ventures, particularly in telecommunications and internet services, to Lebanon.
According to a statement from Aoun’s office, Musk initiated the call and expressed a keen interest in Lebanon’s connectivity sector, which continues to lag globally in internet speed rankings.
During the conversation, President Aoun extended an invitation to Musk to visit Lebanon and affirmed his openness to hosting Musk’s companies, including Starlink, which provides satellite internet. This development follows a recent meeting in Beirut between Lebanese officials and Sam Turner, Starlink’s Global Director of Licensing and Development. Also present at the meeting was U.S. Ambassador Lisa Johnson, underlining the diplomatic significance of the potential collaboration.
The talks, however, have sparked resistance from certain local stakeholders. Lebanon’s internet infrastructure has long been under the control of state-run entities and their affiliates, many of whom are lobbying against granting operational licenses to Starlink. These groups fear a disruption of their monopolies should a private, international operator enter the market.
Starlink, Musk’s satellite internet arm under SpaceX, has continued to expand globally and recently secured operational licenses in India and Lesotho. Should an agreement be reached, Lebanon could benefit from improved internet access, offering hope for better digital connectivity in a nation plagued by chronic infrastructure challenges.