Licensing satellite internet provider Starlink has created an additional revenue stream for Antigua and Barbuda, including payments to the Department of Environment, Information Technology Minister Melford Nicholas says.

Speaking on Taking Stock on Pointe FM on Nov. 10, Nicholas said requiring the company to establish a registered local presence brought its operations into the country’s tax system.

“They have begun to account and we have a new taxable stream and money is flowing into the environmental department,” he said.

Nicholas did not disclose how much revenue had been collected or explain the fees, taxes or payment arrangements involved.

He said Starlink had been licensed more than a year earlier, against the backdrop of people already accessing its satellite service locally.

During the two previous sailing weeks, he said, operators in the Nelson’s Dockyard area had reported visiting vessels arriving with Starlink terminals aboard.

Nicholas argued that regulating the provider offered a practical way to bring those activities within the formal economy.

“The only way that we could get them into the tax bracket is to force them to register a company which has a taxable footprint,” he said.

His comments came as he addressed Starlink’s role during the Commonwealth Heads of Government Meeting.

Nicholas said APUA’s INET supplied the primary network at summit venues, while Starlink, Flow and Digicel provided backup support. He said Starlink’s prominent branding reflected its efforts to promote its services rather than its position as the event’s main telecommunications provider.

Source: Antigua News Room Starlink licensing brings additional revenue to Antigua and Barbuda, Nicholas says.