Starlink, SpaceX’s Low-Earth Orbit (LEO) satellite internet service, is now operational in Zimbabwe following the presidential authorisation in May 2024. The Postal and Telecommunications Regulatory Authority of Zimbabwe (POTRAZ) licensed SpaceX’s Starlink GH LTD to provide satellite broadband services, expanding Starlink’s presence in Africa. Rebecca Slick Hunter, Director of Starlink Global Licensing and Market Activation, announced the development.
The service will be available in partnership with IMC Communications (Pvt) Ltd, making Zimbabwe the 14th African country to utilise Starlink. With this regulatory approval, Starlink will offer its mobile subscription plan nationwide, enabling access to connectivity even in remote areas. Residential users can choose between two hardware options: the standard hardware for USD 350 or the Starlink Mini hardware for USD 200, with a monthly subscription fee of USD 50. The Mini hardware is expected to boost accessibility for medium-income earners.
Furthermore, President Emmerson Mnangagwa commended the launch of Starlink, highlighting it as part of Zimbabwe’s strategic investments in infrastructure and a step toward achieving the country’s objective of becoming a fully digitalised, upper-middle-income economy by 2030.
Starlink’s coverage map shows that the service will become operational in Lesotho and Senegal by the end of September 2024, with plans to expand further across Africa later in the year.
Source: https://spaceinafrica.com/2024/09/08/starlink-now-operational-in-zimbabwe/
