Govt processing licence application for Elon Musk-owned Starlink satellite internet

– PM says licence likely to be approved “as early as possible”

Starlink, the satellite internet service operated by Tesla and ‘X’ owner, Elon Musk, could soon have a licence to operate in Guyana, with the People’s Progressive Party/Civic (PPP/C) Government outlining that the application is currently being processed.

During an end-of-year press conference on Monday, Prime Minister, Retired Brigadier Mark Phillips, who has oversight responsibility for the telecommunication sector, explained that the Government has held and is continuing to have discussions with the company.
“Starlink has an application on file and it’s going through the process. We’ve had discussions with Starlink. The discussions are ongoing. And I envision it will reach to a point where the other 124 countries in the world where Starlink has contracts, we will reach to the point where we will have a licence.”
“In terms of a timeframe, I would say as early as possible. Because those discussions are ongoing. You may recall the President himself had a conversation with Mr Elon Musk. And I myself had conversations with senior executives of Starlink. And we’re moving towards licensing them in the shortest possible time,” Phillips also explained.
There had been discussions last year between President Dr Mohamed Irfaan Ali and billionaire Tech mogul Elon Musk. During those talks, Musk expressed his intentions to invest in Guyana’s technological sector, as it provides a gateway to economic enhancement through digitisation and modernisation.
A post on the President’s FB page said that the “discussions focused on the advancement of Guyana’s economy, particularly in the areas of innovation and technology, and the opportunities that exist in the respective sectors.”
Musk, according to Ali’s social media page, also congratulated the President on the impressive rate of progress and development in Guyana. “He said that his team will examine any potential opportunities.”
The PPP/C Government, after taking office on August 02, 2020, officially liberalised the telecommunications sector, and on October 05, 2020, the commencement orders were issued. In the wake of this move, the expectation had been that Guyana would see the entrance of new telecom operators
The Government is actively exploring numerous pathways to further develop Guyana’s profitable and rapidly expanding tech sector while ensuring prosperity for Guyana’s economy.
Notable efforts include the plan for an e-school model and progress in developing an electronic patient management record system.
Last year in a monumental move to empower Guyanese youths with advanced Information Technology (IT) education and lucrative employment opportunities, Guyana launched its One Guyana Digital Initiative, a groundbreaking Nearshore Training Programme.
This initiative not only promises to revolutionise the nation’s digital landscape but also aims to bring significant economic growth by creating over 300,000 jobs in the tech sector, tailored specifically for Guyanese developers.
At the heart of this initiative lies the goal of providing 2000 Guyanese students with comprehensive IT training, equipping them with cutting-edge coding languages and skills essential for thriving in today’s digital economy free of cost.
The Georgetown Public Hospital Corporation (GPHC) is meanwhile also piloting an Electronic Health Record (EHR) system in its internal systems. This will allow technology to be implemented into the local health system and is being financed by the Inter-American Development Bank (IDB). In September 2023, the Ministry of Health published requests for proposals from companies to develop an EHR.
EHRs contain a patient’s medical history, diagnoses, medications, treatment plans, immunisation dates, and test results. This will thus allow access to evidence-based tools that providers can use to make decisions about a patient’s care, improve patient safety and experience, and facilitate better patient referrals or transfers.
In his recent year-end press conference, Health Minister, Dr Frank Anthony announced that the implementation of phase one of the EHR system will begin at GPHC in early 2025.
Telemedicine is another innovative programme that is being pursued by the Government, which will use technology to deliver efficient and quality health services to those living in far-flung villages, including the hinterland and riverine communities. (G-3)