SATRC functions under the umbrella of the Asia-Pacific Telecommunity (APT) as one of the sub-regional activities. At present, the Council is composed of the Heads of the regulatory bodies of nine South Asian countries namely, Afghanistan, Bangladesh, Bhutan, India, Iran, Maldives, Nepal, Pakistan and Sri Lanka. Affiliate members from these countries are also taking active participation in SATRC activities. The SATRC meets annually to discuss the key policy and regulatory issues of concern to the SATRC members.

South Asian Telecommunication Regulators’ Council (SATRC) was formed in 1997 by an initiative of APT and ITU Regional Office for Asia and the Pacific. The SATRC is responsible for discussion and coordination of all the issues relating to regulations in telecommunication and ICT which are of common interest to the telecommunication regulators in South Asian countries. These issues included radio frequency coordination, standards, regulatory trends and issues, strategies for telecommunication development and telecommunication related international affairs. The council also identifies and promotes areas of potential cooperation in telecommunication among South Asian countries; and facilitates the exchange of information in these areas through activities such as seminars, training and workshop.

SATRC activities are conducted by involvement of the highest level representations by the regulatory bodies of the South Asian countries. At present, SATRC is consisted of nine South Asian countries. 

The Terms of Reference of the Council was adopted by the 3rd Meeting of the Council which was held 19-21 March 2001 in Thimphu, Bhutan. Revised version of the Working Methods of SATRC was approved by the 46th Session of the Management Committee of APT (MC-46).

SATRC Web Portal was successfully launched on 14 November 2022 at SATRC-23 Meeting at Tehran, IR Iran coinciding with the occasion of Silver Jubilee of SATRC (1997-2022).