P. K. Balachandran
Starlink has faced procedural, business and security issues in India, but had none of these issues in Sri Lanka when the deal was struck.
Elon Musk’s satellite-based internet service Starlink has had a remarkably smooth entry into Sri Lanka in contrast to its experience in India where it has been facing procedural, business and security issues.
It was in June this year that Elon Musk and the Sri Lankan President Ranil Wickremesinghe met on the side lines of an international conference in Indonesia and set the ball rolling for Starlink’s entry into Sri Lanka.
By August 12, Starlink had got the license to operate. Starlink is not a telecommunications company in Sri Lanka and yet the Telecommunication Regulatory Commission of Sri Lanka (TRCSL) approved it under Sections 17 and 22 of the Telecommunications Regulatory Act, and granted it a frequency license.
Starlink is a satellite-based high-speed internet connectivity system which can reach people in remote areas where signals are weak currently. It consists of thousands of satellites (6500 by one estimate) which orbit the earth at a height of 550 km. Because of its relative proximity to the earth’s surface, Starlink’s satellites offer considerably faster signals.
Starlink is already operational in multiple countries including Nigeria, Peru, Mexico, Portugal, the Philippines, Australia, Indonesia and Malaysia.
Justifying his decision to bring Starlink to Sri Lanka, President Wickremesinghe said: “This initiative aims to address Wi-Fi connectivity issues, particularly in areas outside Colombo.”
According to datareportal.com there were 12.34 million internet users in Sri Lanka in January 2024. Internet penetration is 56.3% of the total population. Internet users increased by 460,000 (3.9%) between January 2023 and January 2024.
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