Every government likes to have a shiny new piece of legislation or service to hang on their ‘legacy mantle’. But for every new one hung, many are shelved in the closet or crumpled into a wastepaper basket and forgotten.

There is much celebration in Colombo today about US tech-billionaire and political figure Elon Musk’s satellite internet service ‘Starlink’ finally being available to Sri Lanka. And rightfully so, the system, enabled by Musk's vast SpaceX satellite constellation, gives access to a revolutionary highspeed internet via the network which has a coverage of over 130 countries.

Sri Lanka, recovering from an economic crisis is trying to diversify its economy and improve its growth with a digitalisation drive. The previous Government and the incumbent, plans for a multi-billion digital industry by 2030, which will be achieved through various initiatives across different sectors. Key to this will be building a strong and resilient digital infrastructure, improving cybersecurity, enhancing digital literacy, and promoting digital inclusion. All of which Starlink can help with. It seems that some in Colombo think that getting Starlink access closes the chapter on digital connectivity and its importance to the island. This is because the critical digital connectivity infrastructure which upholds the global communications network is largely unseen by the billions of people who use it, and because there is a lack of awareness in Sri Lanka about it.

Sri Lanka’s largely unknown umbilical to the digital world – internet, and banking systems comes via dozens of undersea cables which ply through our territorial waters and Exclusive Economic Zone. Sri Lanka has one of the highest densities of undersea cables in the world which are laid through our maritime domain. Undersea cables are essential for global internet connectivity, carrying over 95% of the world's internet traffic. They provide high-capacity, cost-effective, and reliable connections, facilitating communication, commerce, and cultural exchange between different regions and continents. They are by design, less susceptible to disruptions compared to radio-frequency satellite downlinks such as Starlink. However, undersea cables do come with some risks, and they are increasing globally. The risks posed to Sri Lanka’s undersea components of its critical maritime and digital infrastructure is not one the country can afford to ignore and wait to fix ‘once something has happened’ – as our economy is fragile, the island cannot weather serious disruptions at this stage. While Sri Lanka may not be at war or linked to any ongoing conflicts, even an accidental severing of such cables can have a serious impact on the national economy. Sri Lanka is no stranger to the dangers posed to the submarine data cables which link the island to the world. In 2004, it suffered its first major internet and international communications outage which lasted a few days when the Indian-flagged merchant vessel State of Nagaland dragged its anchor over the SEA-ME-WE3 data cable that supplied linkages to Sri Lanka Telecom (SLT). Sri Lanka’s digital umbilical is made up of seven submarine data cables, with a few more planned.

However, Sri Lanka has been sitting on an important piece of legislation which was drafted to protect the critical undersea connectivity, since the process began in 2018. To-date, the legislation which has been kicked from pillar to post within the bureaucratic jungle of Colombo, is yet to find the political will to recognise its importance and introduce the law which is vital to Sri Lanka’s future and national security interest. Earlier this year, this Government said that the National Submarine Cables Protection and Resilience Framework (NSCPRF) will once again be revisited, with steps to study the topic.

In February, the Ministry of Digital Economy and the Telecommunications Regulatory Commission of Sri Lanka (TRCSL) said a committee will be appointed to discuss and study the existing draft legislation. Let us hope that the Government moves quickly with speed akin to at least an old school dial-up modem to enact the legislation, and not settle to the ‘snail-mail’ pace of decision-making which governments of the past have been comfortable with. The future prosperity and security of the island is linked to the ‘hard-wired’ earth bound undersea backbone of digital connectivity, and it’s the State's duty to effectively regulate and protect such links.