President Emmerson Mnangagwa of Zimbabwe said on Saturday that Elon Musk’s Starlink has been given authorization by the telecom regulator to operate in the nation, as reported by Reuters.
According to Mnangagwa, this decision is expected to bring low-cost, high-speed low-Earth-orbit (LEO) internet infrastructure to Zimbabwe, particularly in rural regions. Through IMC Communications, its sole local partner, Starlink will make its services available.
According to a World Bank estimate from 2021, just 34.8% of Zimbabweans had access to the internet. Three significant mobile network companies presently control the majority of the country’s internet services.
The government’s assault on unregistered users importing Starlink kits from nearby nations like Zambia led to the legalization of Starlink.
Numerous African nations, including Nigeria, Malawi, Zambia, Mozambique, and Kenya, have already adopted Starlink. Due to the provider’s lack of licensing, Cameroon issued an order last month for the confiscation of Starlink equipment at its ports of entry.