With more than half of Africa’s population living in rural regions, there might have been an expectation that satellite broadband would be attractive to governments trying to connect all their citizens. But Musk hasn’t shown much inclination to work directly with African governments, including in his country of birth.
In South Africa, Starlink still needs to meet a licensing requirement that mandates a 30% ownership of a telecom company from historically disadvantaged groups. This has prompted the communications regulator, Independent Communications Authority of South Africa (ICASA), to ban Starlink services, pending it satisfying licensing requirements. But the service has remained online, despite Starlink warning that it would cut off the “illegal” roaming services by May 1.
AD
Regulators across the continent are worried about Starlink because they want control over the content being shared, industry analysts say. This has been a recurring theme of concern for African governments since the rise of the internet and, in particular, social media.
Starlink’s satellites have no physical infrastructure or official presence in the countries, meaning it isn’t possible to turn off the internet. Similarly, Starlink can’t be held responsible by governments for content transmitted over the signals.
Officials are also concerned about the company reaching their citizens without paying taxes or regulatory fees. Indeed this has prompted criticism outside Africa as well. Steve Song, a policy advisor at the Mozilla Foundation and internet access advocate, believes that Starlink satellites are “economically lopsided, extracting value without contributing to local economies.”
AD
With the right incentives, African governments are granting approvals. President Emmerson Mnangagwa of Zimbabwe granted Starlink a license after it agreed to an exclusive partnership with a telco owned by his controversial friend Wicknell Chivayo. In Kenya, a 30% local ownership requirement for telcos was waived after reaching a deal with President William Ruto to boost high-speed internet in the country.
Veteran Zimbabwean journalist Tendai Mbofana criticized Mnangagwa for approving Starlink’s application without going through the proper channels. Mbofana questioned whether the company would want to operate in Zimbabwe under “a dark cloud of suspicion” over how they secured their license and whether it is legitimate.
