Sri Lanka grants Starlink preliminary approval for internet services

Sri Lanka has granted Elon Musk’s Starlink, the satellite internet arm of SpaceX, preliminary approval to operate in the country, Reuters reported citing the president’s office announcement on Thursday.

This approval comes after a fast-tracked process following a meeting between Musk and Sri Lankan President Ranil Wickremesinghe last month in Indonesia. The meeting took place on the sidelines of the 10th World Water Forum.

Sri Lanka’s telecommunications regulator granted the preliminary approval after conducting a public consultation, according to a brief statement from the president’s office.