KATHMANDU, Nov 23: American tech mogul Elon Musk expressed his interest in expanding the services of his satellite-based telecommunications provider company Starlink in Nepal during a virtual meeting with Prime Minister K P Sharma Oli on Friday evening.
According to the PM’s secretariat, the expansion of Starlink to Nepal was one of the key talking points between PM Oli and Musk during the virtual dialogue. PM Oli’s press coordinator Ram Sharan Bajgain told Republica that the tech mogul talked about his business, professional interests, and his desire to expand his company Starlink in Nepal during the 11-minute long dialogue.
“Musk discussed his business and professional interest with PM Oli during the 11-minutes long meeting,” Bajgain said, “In particular, he expressed his desire to provide the services of Starlink to Nepal.” Currently, the official website of Starlink lists Nepal as a country where the satellite-based telecommunications company is ‘coming soon’.
In the virtual meeting, PM Oli listened to Musk’s business proposal and experiences of his professional life and proposed an in-person meeting. “Reacting to the proposal for expansion of the company in Nepal, PM Oli responded that further study and consultation are needed,’ Bajgain said, “He invited Musk to visit Nepal for further discussion on the topic.” He added that the conversation ended on the note that Musk will visit Nepal and PM Oli will listen to his plan and make the necessary decision.
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In July, Global Market Access Director of Starlink Rebecca Slick Hunter along with the US Ambassador Dean R. Thompson had met Minister of Communications and Information Technology Prithvi Subba Gurung and informed him that the company was interested in working in Nepal. The Starlink team had also delivered a presentation to PM Oli.
Earlier in 2022, then US Ambassador Randy Berry along with representatives of Starlink had held a closed meeting with businessmen and International Relations experts from Nepal to discuss the possibility of expanding the services to Nepal. However, Nepali experts had discouraged the American side from the expansion citing the possible domestic political chaos amid then recent decision of the government to accept a 500 million US Dollars compact from the US’ Millennium Challenge Corporation.
PM Oli wanted to meet Musk in September while he was in the US to attend the United Nations General Assembly (UNGA). The PM’s Secretariat has stated that the interest to hold a conversation with Musk progressed when PM Oli visited the UNGA.
“Musk is a successful businessman and investor, which is why the PM Oli wanted to meet him while he was in the US and the timing for the meeting was also being decided during the UNGA,” an official from the PM’s Secretariat said, “However, the disaster incidents in Nepal due to incessant rain prompted the Nepali delegation to cut the visit short and which meant that the meeting with Musk was not possible.” According to the PM’s secretariat, the timing for Friday's virtual dialogue was decided only a few days ago.
In the dialogue, PM Oli congratulated Musk on Donald Trump's victory in the recent US Presidential Election. Musk is said to have doled out millions of US Dollars in Trump’s campaign. As a result of his support for the president-elect, Trump appointed Musk as the secretary of his government's 'Department of Government Efficiency'. PM Oli requested Musk to congratulate Trump on his behalf. ‘After PM Oli congratulated president-elect Trump, Musk thanked him,’ Bajgain told Republica.
Musk's Starlink is providing high-speed internet service to 32 countries around the world by placing around 7000 small satellites in low Earth orbit. Its service can be extended to high-altitude and mountainous areas and remote areas. Since Nepal is a mountainous and mountainous country, Musk is showing interest in providing internet service to remote and remote areas here.
The PM Oli’s Secretariat has expressed concerns that an attempt is being made to disrupt PM Oli’s visit to China with the issue of the virtual dialogue. “Baseless rumors have started spreading that PM Oli has gone against China by accepting the proposal for expansion of Musk’s company to Nepal,” a source in the secretariat said, “The secretariat dismisses such a narrative.”
