Starlink gets green light to operate in Sri Lanka
The Morning: The Telecommunications Regulatory Commission of Sri Lanka (TRCSL) has officially issued a Telecommunications Service Provider License to Starlink Lanka (Private) Limited under Section 17B of the Sri Lanka Telecommunications Act No. 25 of 1991, as amended.
The development follows a recent meeting between President Ranil Wickremesinghe and world-renowned businessman Elon Musk in Indonesia.
During the meeting, they discussed expediting the application process to connect Sri Lanka to Musk’s Starlink network, aiming to enhance the nation’s access to high-speed internet via advanced satellite technology.
As a result, Starlink has been approved to provide internet facility services in Sri Lanka through satellite technology.
This license enables Starlink Lanka to offer Satellite Broadband Services across the country.
The license came into effect on 12 August 2024, marking a significant step forward in expanding Sri Lanka’s access to high-speed internet through advanced satellite technology.
OSL take:
The entrance of Starlink is further indicative of the overall economic expansion Sri Lanka is currently undergoing, especially at a time when the country is also working towards becoming a hub in the South Asian region. In such a backdrop, the business/investment opportunities in the country’s ICT and digital infrastructure development sectors present lucrative business opportunities to foreign businesses/investors. The opportunities in the ICT and digital infrastructure development sectors have been on the rise since the decision of the Sri Lankan government to transform the country into an e-economy, which resulted in many digitalization programmes in both the state and private sectors. However, the expansion in the ICT and digital infrastructure development sectors in the past few years have increased along with the increasing demand in the country. The growth and profits recorded by local businesses engaged in these sectors indicate the growing business potential in Sri Lanka’s ICT and digital infrastructure development sectors. Foreign businesses/investors while exploring the expanding business/investment opportunities in the ICT and digital infrastructure development sectors could also look at forming collaborations with local businesses for further expansion.