• Ongoing formulation of regulations drawn from global case studies: Min.
• Expertise sought from institutions to address technical aspects 
• President’s discussions with Musk aim to fast-track Starlink application process
• Starlink to provide low-cost internet to remote areas 

The Government received an initial application from Starlink in March to commence operations in Sri Lanka and it is in the process of formulating the requisite regulations to allow the operation of the satellite internet service provider, the State Minister of Technology reveals. 

Speaking to The Sunday Morning Business, State Minister of Technology Kanaka Herath revealed that Sri Lanka had received an initial formal application from billionaire businessman Elon Musk’s Starlink – the satellite unit of SpaceX – in March and that they were presently formulating the necessary regulations to cater to the introduction of this internet service provider.

Responding to a question on when the regulations would be published, he stated: “There is no timeline fixed; we are still making the regulations. We are carrying out case studies on what other countries have done. We are looking at how they made regulations and charged fees. We are looking at all of this right now.”

He stated that they had sought consultations with several institutions with expertise on the subject and expected to receive their advice on the technical aspects of this service, which was novel for Sri Lanka.  

Although Starlink has only recently become a much-discussed topic in Sri Lanka, preliminary engagement with SpaceX was initiated several years ago to explore the introduction of Starlink internet services in the country. 

The first round of discussions, which took place in late 2021, focused on regulatory aspects and prerequisites for initiating the service in the near future, as stated by the Telecommunications Regulatory Commission of Sri Lanka (TRCSL).

During the 10th World Water Forum High-Level Meeting in Indonesia, President Ranil Wickremesinghe met with Musk to discuss and explore the possibilities of implementing Starlink in Sri Lanka and committed to fast-tracking the application process to connect the nation with the global Starlink network, according to the President’s Media Division (PMD).

Starlink is a satellite network developed by the private spaceflight company SpaceX to provide low-cost internet to remote locations.