Sri Lanka is preparing to roll out Starlink, an innovative satellite-based telecommunications service provider.
In an article published in Views Bangladesh on June 2, 2025, LIRNEasia Chair Professor Rohan Samarajiva examined the legal and regulatory dimensions of Starlink’s entry into Sri Lanka. He examined the complexities surrounding the licensing framework, public policy obligations, and the reported absence of clear provisions for lawful interception in the license. He also highlighted the technical and legal challenges posed by the absence of a local gateway, noting that lawful interception would be significantly complicated under such conditions.
“News reports claim that the Starlink license does not include provisions on lawful interception. Not having read the license (which should be on the TRC website, but is not), I am unable to confirm this. There is no consistent practice of including lawful interception conditions in licenses. The SLT license includes such a condition (not included in the original license issued in the early 1990s) but the Mobitel license does not. Both were issued in 2023. Starlink is sui generis, but if one is looking for similarities, it is closer to a mobile operator (Mobitel) than to a fixed operator (SLT). Without going through the drama of license modification, government may be better served by quiet negotiation.
When the exchange or gateway is located inside a country, it is possible (but not routine) to install the software necessary to record certain communications and provide those records to law enforcement authorities (this is what lawful interception means). This is a serious violation of privacy expectations of customers. Conditions that require operators to maintain privacy and confidentiality, other than in circumstances set out in the Telecom Act and other legislation are set out in all licenses (possibly also in the Starlink license). Usually, action under these exceptions requires court orders.
In the case of Starlink, the gateway is not located in Sri Lanka. It is likely that messages from multiple countries are processed together. This will make the installation of lawful interception software somewhat complicated.”
Read the full article in the Views Bangladesh
