President Emmerson Mnangagwa said Saturday that Zimbabwe’s telecom regulator has licensed SpaceX’s Starlink satellite company
The final decision “is expected to result in the deployment of high-speed, low-cost LEO (low-earth orbit) internet infrastructure throughout Zimbabwe and particularly in all the rural areas,” Mnangagwa stated.
He stated that IMC Communications, Starlink’s sole and exclusive local associate, will be responsible for service delivery.
In 2021, only 34.8% of Zimbabwe’s population had internet access, according to a World Bank report.
Three prominent mobile network providers primarily control Internet service in the nation.
The Starlink certification coincides with a government crackdown on unregistered users from neighboring countries, such as Zambia, who are smuggling Starlink kits.
Presently, Starlink is formally available in several African countries, such as Mozambique, Malawi, Zambia, Kenya, and Nigeria.
As the provider lacked a valid license, Cameroon ordered the seizure of Starlink equipment at the country’s ports of entry last month.