Ahead of India, Elon Musk’s Starlink Launches in Sri Lanka: What You Need to Know

In a significant move, Elon Musk's Starlink has officially launched its satellite internet service in Sri Lanka, becoming available before its anticipated rollout in India. This expansion adds Sri Lanka to Starlink's growing list of supported countries in Southeast Asia, which also includes India's immediate neighbors, Bangladesh and Bhutan.

The announcement came directly from Starlink's official X (formerly Twitter) profile, confirming immediate service availability. Starlink operates the world’s largest constellation of satellites, boasting over 6,750 units in low Earth orbit (LEO). This LEO design is crucial as it significantly reduces latency compared to traditional geostationary satellites. This vast network allows Starlink to deliver internet connectivity to remote and underserved regions, bypassing the need for extensive ground infrastructure like fiber optic cables or cellular towers.

For Sri Lanka, Starlink's arrival promises reliable and fast internet access, especially in rural and remote areas where traditional broadband infrastructure is often scarce or nonexistent.

When Will Starlink Launch in India?

While Sri Lanka quickly welcomed Starlink with swift regulatory approval, the company's journey into India has faced more complex regulatory hurdles. India, a vast and highly competitive telecom market, has been in extensive discussions with Starlink for some time. Recent reports suggest that Starlink has cleared most of these regulatory obstacles with the Department of Telecom (DoT). Rumors indicate that Starlink is poised for an official launch in India within the next two months.

Currently, Starlink is also available in other Asian countries including Mongolia, Japan, the Philippines, Malaysia, Indonesia, Jordan, Yemen, and Azerbaijan.