_{by Ednal Palmer}

It is official, Telecommunication Commission of Solomon Islands (TCSI) has granted
license to Starlink, to operate its services in the Solomon Islands.

TCSI Interim Commissioner Calvin Ziru signed the license with Senior Director,
Global Licensing & Market Activation of SpaceX, Ryan Goodnight, this afternoon in
Honiara.

Ziru said the decision to grant license to Starlink came about after careful
considerations and discussions with parties concerned, including the government.
“We made the decision as the legal entity responsible, based on consultations and
careful considerations.”

He said it is a new technology and technology will continue to evolve therefore as a
regulator, it is their responsibility to adopt.

The interim commissioner said they have weighed the benefits and it is good for
Solomon Islanders.

“Starlink services will complement the work of current Internet Service Providers and
as the regulator, we will continue to monitor their performance in the Solomon
Islands.”

The delayed decision by TCSI to grant license to Starlink has generated considerable discussions recently, some casting doubt that it will be given the opportunity to see the light of the day here due to various arguable reasons.

But Ziru said TCSI is an independent expert statutory authority, charged with the economic and technical management of the telecommunications sector in Solomon
Islands.

“We are here to improve the long-term well-being, affordability and quality of telecommunications services in the country and as one of our responsibilities, we are to support the interest of telecommunication users in the country.”

The Commission’s core functions are:
– To regulate and facilitate the development of the telecommunications sector
and;
– To manage Solomon Islands’ radio-frequency spectrum resource and;
– To safeguard competition and the interests of consumers.

Starlink is a satellite internet constellation operated by Starlink Services, a wholly owned subsidiary of American aerospace company SpaceX, providing coverage to over 100 countries.

It also aims to provide global mobile broadband.

SpaceX started launching Starlink satellites in 2019