Starlink satellite system nears approval as Musk’s representative visits Sri Lanka

A representative from the Starlink satellite system, founded by billionaire entrepreneur Elon Musk of SpaceX and Tesla, visited Sri Lanka this week and is set to return next week to complete the final stages of obtaining the necessary licence for operations in the country.

“A Starlink representative based in New Delhi was in Sri Lanka and held initial talks with the necessary institutes including the Director General of Telecommunications Regulatory Commission of Sri Lanka (TRCSL) and will be back most probably by next week to finalise everything,” President's Senior Advisor on Climate Change, Ruwan Wijewardene told Daily Mirror yesterday.

“The initial talks were successful, and it is expected that everything will be finalised within a two-week period,” Mr. Wijewardene said.

Recently, Parliament approved an amendment to the telecom regulatory law, paving the way for Elon Musk's Starlink to secure a licence for operations in the country. Despite having initially applied for a licence in March 2024, Starlink faced hurdles as Sri Lanka lacked the necessary legal framework to accommodate independent service providers.

Earlier, the TRCSL granted preliminary approval for Starlink to provide satellite-based internet services in Sri Lanka.