Minister Nalinda Jayatissa revealed today (12) that there is no satellite registered under Sri Lanka’s name in the records of the International Telecommunication Union (ITU), the UN agency that oversees global coordination of information and communication technologies.
Addressing the weekly Cabinet briefing, he explained that the ITU’s satellite launch procedure involves three key stages — submitting technical details of the planned satellite network, coordinating with other member states to avoid interference, and notifying final parameters for registration and international recognition — a process that usually takes three to seven years.
He noted that Sri Lanka’s Telecommunications Regulatory Commission, an ITU member, holds two geostationary orbital positions (121.5°E and 50°E), which are reserved for Sri Lanka but may also be used by other countries such as Afghanistan, Kyrgyzstan, Moldova, Nepal, Tajikistan, and Romania without hindrance.
According to ITU data, no satellite named “Sri Lanka” currently occupies these slots. Checks were also conducted for “SupremeSat One,” reportedly later renamed “ChinaSat Two,” but neither name appears in ITU records.
Minister Jayatissa stressed that ITU reports confirm no activity from any satellite operating in Sri Lanka’s allocated orbital positions.
