On Thursday, Sri Lanka granted Starlink, Elon Musk’s satellite-based ISP, a preliminary licence to deliver internet services in the island nation.
Officials from Sri Lanka’s President’s Media Division (PMD) made the announcement via an X: “State Technology Minister @kanakadh announced that TRCSL (Telecommunication Regulatory Commission of Sri Lanka) has granted preliminary approval for @Starlink to provide satellite-based internet services in Sri Lanka, following a formal public consultation process.” Following that, the PMD stated, “The details of the public consultation will be published tomorrow.”
Last month, during the 10th World Water Forum in Indonesia, Musk met with Sri Lankan President Ranil Wickremesinghe, and as a result, the permission process was accelerated. This announcement is the result of that meeting. Wickremesinghe pledged to speed up Sri Lanka’s application to join the global Starlink network during their meeting.
Musk made Starlink accessible in Fiji the day after he debuted it in Indonesia last month, with the goal of improving internet connections in distant corners of the archipelago. In an X-cast, Elon Musk said that “Starlink is now available in Fiji.”
Sri Lanka is the latest country to receive preliminary clearance to use Starlink’s satellite internet service, which aims to increase connections across the country.
