TRCSL issues license for Starlink to operate in Sri Lanka

The Telecommunications Regulatory Commission of Sri Lanka (TRCSL) has officially issued a Telecommunications Service Provider License to Elon Musk’s Starlink, the satellite unit of SpaceX, to provide satellite broadband services in Sri Lanka.

This license authorizes the company to provide satellite broadband services in Sri Lanka from August 12, 2024.

The development follows a recent meeting between President Ranil Wickremesinghe and Elon Musk in Indonesia where they discussed expediting the application process to connect Sri Lanka to the Starlink network, aiming to enhance Sri Lanka’s access to high-speed internet.

The TRCSL has issued a Telecommunications Service Provider License under Section 17B of the Sri Lanka Telecommunications Act No. 25 of 1991 as amended, to Starlink Lanka (Private) Limited for the provision of Satellite Broadband Services in Sri Lanka, a statement said.

Sri Lanka’s parliament passed a new telecommunications bill last month, which amended the law for the first time in 28 years, and paved the way for Starlink to enter the country.

On July 09, the Sri Lanka Telecommunications (Amendment) Bill was passed in Parliament with amendments.
 
Under the new telecommunications bill, Sri Lanka introduced a new license category that will allow ‘Starlink’ service to enter the country’s telecommunications space as a licensed service provider, as previously stated by State Minister of Technology Kanaka Herath.

The initiative of integrating the global ‘Starlink’ network with Sri Lanka is said to be aimed at addressing the internet connectivity issues, particularly in areas outside Colombo.

Sri Lanka granted ‘Starlink’ preliminary approval in June after fast-tracking the process. ‘Starlink’ will have to pay a tariff for the license, which will be issued by the country’s telecommunications regulator, according to the State Minister.

President Ranil Wickremesinghe had met with billionaire investor Elon Musk on the sidelines of the 10th World Water Forum High-Level Meeting being held in Indonesia on May 19, during which they had discussed the implementation of ‘Starlink’ in Sri Lanka.

Musk was in Indonesia’s resort island of Bali to launch Starlink satellite internet service in the world’s largest archipelago nation.

The billionaire head of Tesla and SpaceX and owner of social platform X had launched the service alongside Indonesian President Joko Widodo in a ceremony at a public health clinic in Denpasar, the provincial capital of Bali.

Unlike traditional telecommunications providers, which prioritise the most populated urban areas, Starlink aims to provide global coverage, extending internet connectivity to even the most remote corners of the planet.

Starlink can provide internet access to virtually any location on Earth with a constellation of LEO satellites that can be re-positioned at any point, and according to experts, reliable internet access is possible, whether the user operates in the Congo, the Arctic, or on an oil rig located hundreds of miles offshore.

So far, Starlink has more than 02 million active customers and is available on all seven continents and in over 60 countries.