Mass Media Minister Dr. Nalinda Jayatissa revealed that Sri Lanka currently has no satellite registered under its name in the records of the International Telecommunication Union (ITU), the UN agency responsible for coordinating global information and communication technologies.
Addressing the Cabinet Press Briefing yesterday (12), Dr. Jayatissa explained that the ITU’s satellite registration process involves three stages: submission of technical details, coordination with other member states to avoid interference, and final notification of the satellite’s parameters for registration and international recognition — a process that typically takes three to seven years.
He noted that Sri Lanka’s Telecommunications Regulatory Commission holds two geostationary orbital positions at 121.5°E and 50°E. While these slots are reserved for Sri Lanka, other countries, including Afghanistan, Kyrgyzstan, Moldova, Nepal, Tajikistan, and Romania, may also operate there without causing interference.
Dr. Jayatissa further stated that while satellites under the name “ChinaSat” occupy the 87.5°E orbital slot, there are no satellites registered as “SupremeSat One” or “ChinaSat 12” in any of Sri Lanka’s allocated positions.
SupremeSat had signed an agreement with the Board of Investment on May 23, 2012, and declared assets worth Rs. 12 billion related to a satellite in its 2013–14 financial statements, which were later removed in 2014–15. Audit reports also showed no recorded revenue from satellite operations.
In 2016, the company informed the BOI that, under an agreement with China Great Wall Industry Corporation, the assets tied to the satellite were removed. However, ITU checks found no record of “SupremeSat One” or its reported new name, “ChinaSat 12,” under Sri Lanka’s registrations.
