Starlink Pre-Orders in Sri Lanka Began Years Before President's Meeting with Elon Musk

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Recently, President Ranil Wickremesinghe met with Elon Musk in Bali, Indonesia, while attending an international summit. Following this meeting, there has been a surge of social media content discussing Elon Musk's Starlink service and the potential for its introduction to Sri Lanka. However, much of this information is misleading, with various unverified claims and speculative details circulating widely.

Social Media Posts

There are circulating claims on social media that the availability of Starlink’s internet service for pre-order in Sri Lanka is a direct result of a recent meeting between President Ranil Wickremesinghe and Elon Musk in Bali. Some users, however, argue that the service was available for pre-order in Sri Lanka even before this meeting.

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Explanation

Starlink’s Pre-Order Availability in Sri Lanka:

Current Pre-Order Process: Newswire reported that Starlink’s internet service is available for pre-order in Sri Lanka with a fully refundable USD 9 deposit. The service is expected to be available starting in 2024, pending regulatory approval.The report can be read here Archived

Historical Pre-Orders: Evidence from customers who pre-ordered Starlink in 2021 indicates that the service has been available for pre-order in Sri Lanka for several years. One customer provided screenshots of confirmation emails from February 2021, when they paid a USD 99 deposit. These emails indicated that Starlink would be available in 2022. However, as of 2024, the service is still not available, and pre-orders are ongoing.

Service Categories: Starlink's website categorizes countries into three groups: "Available," "Waitlist," and "Coming Soon." Sri Lanka falls under the "Coming Soon" category with the status "Service Data is Unknown at this time." In contrast, India is also in the "Coming Soon" category but with a status of "Pending regulatory approval," indicating it is further along in the process. Currently, only countries in the "Service Data is Unknown" status within the "Coming Soon" category can pre-order for USD 9.

Official Statements and Social Media Activity:

Dinouk Colombage’s Tweets: Director of International Affairs for President Wickremesinghe, Dinouk Colombage, initially posted on Twitter that Starlink's preordering became available in Sri Lanka following the President’s meeting with Elon Musk. However, he later deleted this tweet and acknowledged that the pre-order option had been available for some time. He clarified that the government aims to expedite the regulatory approval process to launch the service within the year following the meeting.

Starlink registration is available in Sri Lanka. Following the meeting between @elonmusk and @RW_UNP the GoSL is targeting swift approval of their application and the launch of the service within the year. https://t.co/D6YdmYscIf pic.twitter.com/JlguXZBgB8

— Dinouk Colombage (@Dinouk_C) May 28, 2024

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President Wickremesinghe’s Tweet: After the meeting in Bali, President Wickremesinghe tweeted about his discussion with Elon Musk, highlighting the potential benefits of Starlink for Sri Lanka.

I met @elonmusk today during my official visit to Indonesia for the 10th World Water Forum. He was there to launch the Starlink satellite internet service, aimed at providing internet connectivity to remote areas in Indonesia. We had a fruitful discussion on a variety of… pic.twitter.com/d1NbYMUdOC

— Ranil Wickremesinghe (@RW_UNP) May 19, 2024

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Elon Musk’s Response:

Acknowledgment: Elon Musk replied to President Wickremesinghe’s tweet, indicating the meeting was an honor but did not specifically credit the meeting with any new developments regarding Starlink’s availability in Sri Lanka.

Analysis:

Pre-Existing Availability: The evidence strongly suggests that the option to pre-order Starlink in Sri Lanka existed well before the meeting between President Wickremesinghe and Elon Musk. This is supported by customer reports and emails dating back to early 2021.

Regulatory Approval: While the meeting between President Wickremesinghe and Elon Musk may have fostered a positive relationship and possibly expedited regulatory approval processes, it did not initiate the pre-order availability of Starlink in Sri Lanka. Dinouk Colombage’s subsequent tweet supports this interpretation, indicating the government’s intention to speed up regulatory approval

Service Categories and Status: The categorization on the Starlink website shows that Sri Lanka is in the "Coming Soon" category with a status of "Service Data is Unknown at this time," allowing for a USD 9 pre-order deposit. In comparison, India is in the "Coming Soon" category with "Pending regulatory approval" status but currently does not allow pre-orders. This indicates that while India is ahead in regulatory progress, Sri Lanka can currently accept deposits for future service.

Delayed Availability: Despite initial communications in 2021 indicating Starlink would be available in Sri Lanka by 2022, the service has yet to launch, and pre-orders continue to be accepted, indicating ongoing delays.

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Conclusion:

The claim that Starlink’s pre-order availability in Sri Lanka is a direct result of the meeting between President Wickremesinghe and Elon Musk is misleading. The service has been available for pre-order since at least 2021. However, the meeting may contribute to faster regulatory approval, potentially accelerating the actual launch of the service in Sri Lanka.Thus, while the meeting may positively impact the timeline for Starlink's operational launch, it did not introduce the pre-order capability for Sri Lankan customers. Additionally, the service has faced significant delays, with availability now projected for 2024, despite earlier estimates targeting 2022.