After South Africa, Another African Country Rejects Elon Musk’s Starlink Internet Application

• The Starlink application to operate in Botswana has been rejected, adding more troubles for the internet company in the African continent
• SpaceX's Starlink submitted its application to launch in May 2023, but the country's regulator was not satisfied
• Nigeria became the first African country to approve Starlink service, a feat that was achieved on January 31, 2023

Legit.ng journalist Dave Ibemere has over a decade of experience covering Tech, Energy, Stocks, Investments, and the Economy.

Starlink's operation in Africa continues to prove difficult, thanks to regulatory challenges on the continent.

The most recent setback comes from Botswana, which has denied approval for Starlink to commence operation.

Tech Cabal reports that Botswana’s Communication Authority was not fully satisfied with Starlink's application submitted and demanded more information.

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However, the report noted that Starlink has not yet submitted the requested information for approval.

An insider quoted in the report said:

“There were issues regarding missing requirements with the application, which were identified and pointed out. They are yet to respond to the issues.”

African countries reject Starlink

Botswana is the first African country to reject Starlink, and South Africa and Zimbabwe have also banned its service.

For South Africa, the country's regulator stated that the ban is a result of non-compliance with a legal requirement outlined in the Electronics Communications Act (ECA).

ECA mandates that historically disadvantaged groups (HDGs) must own 30% of a company before it can get the necessary telecoms licences to operate a broadband service locally.

For Zimbabwe, its legislators rejected Starlink's application, citing an EU investigation into X, Elon Musk's social media platform.

Despite this setback, Starlink holds licenses in Zambia, Eswatini, Mozambique, Malawi, Nigeria, and Kenya, among others,

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Starlink internet service live in Nigeria

Earlier Legit.ng reported that SpaceX announced Starlink Internet Service is now live in Nigeria, the first African country to receive the service.

The company said Nigerians can now enjoy its services in the country.

The Punch reported that the company announced that subscribers to its service will pay about N19,260 per month and N274,098 for hardware.

Source: Legit.ng