Telecom Law Amendments Approved

On Tuesday, Sri Lanka's parliament approved amendments to a decades-old telecommunications law, paving the way for Elon Musk's Starlink, the satellite unit of SpaceX, to set up operations in the country. This marks the first amendment to the existing law in 28 years.

The new telecommunications bill was passed without a vote, as per a statement from the parliament's office.

Introduction of New Licences

The amendments will introduce three new types of licences, allowing Starlink to enter Sri Lanka's telecom market as a licensed service provider. The technology minister, Kanaka Herath, stated that Starlink's entry is pending approval from the telecoms regulator.

"The original law had no regulations allowing satellite internet service providers to operate in the country," said Herath while presenting the bill to lawmakers.

Opportunities for International Companies

Herath emphasized that this opportunity is not limited to Starlink but extends to any other company willing to invest in Sri Lanka. The government's goal is to expand the IT sector to a $15 billion industry by 2030, making it crucial to attract international companies to provide internet, especially in rural areas.

"Our plan is to grow the IT sector to a $15 billion industry by 2030. So it is important that we attract international companies to provide internet, especially to rural areas," Herath added.

Starlink's Journey to Sri Lanka

Starlink first approached Sri Lanka in March with a proposal to establish operations. After fast-tracking the process, Sri Lanka granted Starlink preliminary approval in June. Starlink will be required to pay a tariff for the licence, although details were not disclosed by Herath.