Key Highlights
- Botswana Presidency has approved Starlink’s operations in the country
- Starlink given two-week deadline to finalise its application process
Earlier this year, the Botswana Communications Regulatory Authority (BOCRA) announced that importing, using, or selling Starlink kits or services was illegal, with violators facing legal consequences. However, in a recent development, the Botswana Presidency announced that Starlink has been granted an operating license in the country.
During a business summit in the United States earlier in May, President Mokgweetsi Masisi met with Ben MacWilliams, the Director of Starlink’s Global Licensing and Activation, who expressed interest in obtaining a license to operate in Botswana. Following this meeting, President Masisi decided to approve Starlink’s licensing and instructed the regulator to expedite the application process within two weeks.
Botswana is now the latest Southern African nation to license Starlink, following Zimbabwe, where President Emmerson Mnangagwa recently authorised the Postal and Telecommunications Regulatory Authority of Zimbabwe (POTRAZ) approval of Starlink’s satellite broadband services in the country.
Despite having one of the highest data prices in Africa, Botswana is aiming to bridge the connectivity gap for its 2.63 million residents by licensing Starlink.
Source: https://africanews.space/spacexs-starlink-licensed-in-botswana/
