Elon Musk’s Starlink to launch broadband service in Sri Lanka this month
By: Staff Writer
August 15, Colombo (LNW): Elon Musk’s Starlink has been given a licence to launch its service in Sri Lanka this month, the President’s Media Division said.
The Telecommunications Regulatory Commission of Sri Lanka (TRCSL) issued a Telecommunications Service Provider Licence to Starlink Lanka (Private) Limited to launch services with effect from 12th August 2024.
The Telecommunications Regulatory Commission of Sri Lanka (TRCSL) said it has officially issued a telecoms licence to SpaceX’s LEO satellite broadband operator Starlink to offer services in the country.
According to a statement from TRCSL, Starlink Lanka (Private) Limited has been granted a Telecommunications Service Provider Licence under Section 17B of the amended Sri Lanka Telecommunications Act No. 25 of 1991.
The licence – effective August 12 – enables Starlink to offer “internet facility services in Sri Lanka through satellite technology”. Starlink will have to pay a tariff for the licence.
Starlink’s entry into Sri Lanka has been in the works since May, after Sri Lankan president Ranil Wickremesinghe met with SpaceX chief Elon Musk in Bali, where Musk was attending the launch of Starlink services in Indonesia.
During the meeting, Wickremesinghe and Musk discussed expediting Starlink’s application to offer services in Sri Lanka, the TRCSL statement said.
Starlink received preliminary approval in June after TRCSL fast-tracked the process, but the LEOsat operator had to wait for the government to update its telecoms law to create three new types of telecoms licenses, one of which would allow Starlink to provide internet connectivity. Parliament passed the Sri Lanka Telecommunications (Amendment) Bill last month.
The government had previously granted preliminary approval to Starlink, the satellite unit of SpaceX, to provide internet services in the country. The process was fast-tracked by amending the Telecommunications Regulatory Act for the first time in 28 years.
Director General of the Sri Lanka Telecommunications Regulatory Authority, Madushanka Dissanayake, saidthat the basic template for licensing Starlink’s operation is currently being prepared. He stated that new rules and regulations for this purpose will be established in accordance with the amended Act.
“We have given time till the end of July to complete the task. However, we are confident that we can complete it well ahead of time,” Dissanayake said. Regarding Musk’s arrival, Dissanayake confirmed that the visit is scheduled for August.
Following the launch, it will take approximately three weeks to operationalize the service. “They need this time to lay the infrastructure and install the necessary equipment,” he explained.Under the new Act, Starlink will be offered a service provider’s license.
