(Agence Ecofin) – Since 2020, the African Internet market has experienced strong growth, driven in particular by Covid-19. This trend is attracting new players to a high-potential African Internet market.
Starlink, the satellite internet network of billionaire Elon Musk’s US company SpaceX (pictured), has obtained approval from the Malawi Communications Regulatory Authority (MACRA) to provide satellite internet services in the country. The licenses were awarded to the company on Friday, October 21.
Starlink was awarded three licenses. These are a network installation license, a network service license and an application service license. These licenses will come into force once the information is published in the government gazette, we learn.
The acquisition of licenses from MACRA is the result of negotiations that began in February 2022 as part of Starlink’s expansion on the African continent, where demand for broadband connectivity has accelerated since 2020, in particular due to the Covid-19. Since then, the company has made progress on the continent with the securing of licenses in Mozambique and Nigeria.
Once these licenses are operational, Starlink will leverage them to bring high-speed internet connectivity to the people of Malawi through its satellite constellation of approximately 3,500 devices orbiting the Earth. With the new player, Malawians expect not only improved internet quality, but also reduced costs.
As a reminder, in April 2021, the Ministry of Information asked the regulator to encourage mobile network operators to reduce their data tariffs. Since then, service providers have changed their prices, but the public is still not satisfied.
Isaac K. Kassouwi
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2/25/2022 — Starlink obtains a license in Mozambique and begins its expansion in Africa
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