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NEW DELHI: Starlink, the satellite internet service owned by Elon Musk, officially launched its services in Sri Lanka on Wednesday.

With this launch, Sri Lanka has become the third country in South Asia — and another of India’s neighbours — after Bhutan and Bangladesh to get access to Starlink’s internet services.

The announcement was made by Starlink on social media platform X, where the company said: “Starlink’s high-speed, low-latency internet is now available in Sri Lanka!”

Starlink is getting closer to launching its services in India. Last month, the company received a key licence from the Department of Telecommunications (DoT), nearly three years after it had first applied.

According to reports, Starlink may start providing services in India within the next two months.

The final step for Starlink to begin operations in India is a formal approval from the Indian National Space Promotion and Authorisation Centre (IN-SPACe).

The agency has already issued a draft letter of intent (LOI) to the company. Once both sides sign this document, Starlink will be officially cleared to roll out its services in the Indian market.

Starlink provides internet through a network of satellites orbiting Earth. The company currently operates the world’s largest constellation of satellites, with more than 6, 750 in orbit.

According to the company, Starlink offers fast internet with low delay, making it suitable even for remote areas with limited connectivity.

In Asia, Starlink services are already available in several countries, including Mongolia, Japan, the Philippines, Malaysia, Indonesia, Jordan, Yemen, and Azerbaijan.

Globally, it serves users in over 100 countries, offering both residential and roaming internet plans.

The residential plans are usually offered in two categories: Residential Lite for smaller households with lower data needs, and Residential for larger families or heavier usage.