SHILLONG, APR 1: Chief Minister Conrad K. Sangma on Wednesday witnessed the signing of a Letter of Intent (LoI) between the Government of Meghalaya and Starlink India via video conference, marking a major step toward enhancing digital connectivity across the state.
The initiative aligns with the state government’s broader vision of building a 10-billion US dollar economy by 2028, with digital infrastructure serving as a key driver of inclusive growth.
The signing ceremony was attended by Education Minister Lahkmen Rymbui, Additional Chief Secretary and Development Commissioner Sampath Kumar, and other senior officials. Representatives from SpaceX who joined virtually included President and COO Gwynne Shotwell, Vice President (Starlink Business Operations) Lauren Dreyer, Country Head Prabhakar Jayakumar, and Director Parnil Urdhwareshe.
Speaking on the occasion, the Chief Minister highlighted the state’s development journey and underscored the importance of connectivity in driving inclusive growth.
“Over the past eight years, we have focused extensively on infrastructure development, capacity building, and leveraging technology to bring governance closer to the people,” he said.
Pointing to the persistent challenge of last-mile connectivity, Sangma noted that while optical fibre networks are being expanded to remote health centres, schools, and villages, the process remains time-intensive.
“Expanding connectivity to the last mile continues to be a challenge… time is of the essence,” he added.
Expressing optimism about the partnership, he said Starlink’s satellite-based connectivity could have a transformative impact on key sectors.
“If it helps save even one life through better access to healthcare, enables even one child to receive quality education, or improves the income of even one farmer, it will be a meaningful success,” he stated.
The Chief Minister also outlined Meghalaya’s ambitions in the IT sector, including plans to position Shillong as a regional hub for IT and IT-enabled services, alongside exploring data centres, submarine cable connectivity, and emerging technologies such as artificial intelligence.
“Our immediate goal should be to take this technology to the most remote and underserved areas,” he said, stressing the need for swift implementation.
Speaking on the occasion, Gwynne Shotwell described the partnership as a significant milestone.
“It is a privilege and an honour to formalise this collaboration… Starlink’s mission is to connect the unconnected and underserved by providing reliable, high-speed connectivity,” she said, adding that Meghalaya has demonstrated “remarkable leadership and vision” in leveraging technology for equitable growth.
Sampath Kumar highlighted that the collaboration would enhance citizen-centric governance and improve service delivery in remote areas, particularly in healthcare and education, while also unlocking new opportunities for economic growth.
Given Meghalaya’s hilly terrain and dispersed habitations, which pose challenges for conventional infrastructure like fibre networks and mobile towers, satellite-based internet solutions are seen as a practical alternative.
The partnership is expected to significantly strengthen connectivity across sectors such as education, healthcare, disaster management, governance, and rural development, while promoting entrepreneurship, skill development, and digital inclusion across the state.
