Aden, August 5 (Reuters) - The internationally recognized Yemeni government in Aden began selling and distributing Starlink satellite internet devices and packages on Tuesday, in the first step to officially activate the service within the provinces under its control.

Yemen suffers from a deteriorating services and infrastructure sector, but the government announced last September the introduction of the Starlink service to improve conditions.

Wael Tarmoom, the executive director of the government telecommunications corporation in Aden, said that the corporation, as the authorized agent for the Starlink service in Yemen, has started selling devices at a price of $500, as well as packages at prices ranging from $47 to $800.

He explained that the service is now available through authorized points of sale, and its devices will be gradually distributed in various governorates under the influence of the internationally recognized government in southern and eastern Yemen.

He noted that the competent authorities are also preparing to implement a campaign to regularize the status of unregistered Starlink devices that entered Yemen through unofficial means and to work on including them within the approved system in order to regulate the market and ensure the quality and safety of the service.

Yemen has been living through a civil war for more than ten years after the Houthi group overthrew the internationally recognized government and seized control of the capital Sanaa and parts of the country.

The “Starlink” project from SpaceX, owned by American billionaire Elon Musk, aims to provide satellite internet service to remote areas or those suffering from weak traditional communications infrastructure, making Yemen one of the most prominent beneficiaries under the current circumstances.

However, the Houthi group strongly rejected the introduction of Starlink services to Yemen, and its Ministry of Communications said that they "harm national security".

(Reporting by Riyam Mohammed Makhshaf - Prepared for the Arabic Bulletin by Sameh Al-Khatib - Edited by Ali Khafaji)