President Ranil Wickremesinghe recently stated that the initiative of introducing the global ‘Starlink’ satellite communications network to Sri Lanka aims to address the island’s Wi-Fi connectivity issues, particularly in rural areas.
In response to a question raised at the Jaffna District Youth Conference, organised by the National Youth Service Council held at the Duraiappah Stadium in Jaffna, Wickremesinghe expressed that during his recent discussion with tech billionaire Elon Musk regarding the matter, the potential of solar energy and other renewable energy sources available in the country was also explored.
Meanwhile, the President said that he extended an invitation to Musk to collaborate on significant projects in Sri Lanka. Furthermore, he revealed that the Telecommunication Regulatory Commission of Sri Lanka (TRCSL) has been tasked with assessing the ‘Starlink’ network, with most of the preliminary work already completed.
“We are awaiting feedback from the Ministry of Defence to proceed with approval”, he added.
President Wickremesinghe met with Musk on the sidelines of the 10th World Water Forum high-level meeting held in Indonesia on 19 May, during which they discussed the implementation of ‘Starlink’ in Sri Lanka. Musk was in Indonesia’s resort island of Bali to launch Starlink satellite internet service in the world’s largest archipelago nation.
