Starlink’s high-speed satellite internet service is now available in neighbouring Zambia.
Telecoms providers in Zimbabwe which charge exorbitant fees for unreliable internet connectivity could soon be out of business.
Starlink internet service is also available in Mozambique and Malawi.
Apparently, Zimbabwe’s minister of information, publicity, and broadcasting services, Jenfan Muswere, confirmed that the country’s communications regulator has received an application for an operating licence from Starlink.
Muswere added that the application is currently being reviewed by the Postal & Telecommunications Regulatory Authority of Zimbabwe (POTRAZ).
About over fortnight ago, POTRAZ issued a warning against the unlicensed use of Starlink after cases of reselling had become rampant in the country.
“What I remember is that they submitted their application for licencing and POTRAZ was still going through that application… Of course, we want to see it approved,” Muswere told journalists recently.
Muswere said the reason Zimbabwe would be looking to approve Starlink is that fibre-optic connections across the country are proving to be a challenge as a means to connect the whole country to the internet.
As stated on its website, Starlink plans to launch in the country in Q4 2023.
“It’s not possible to have fibre-optic cables across the country. It’s a reality that we need satellite technology for communication purposes.
“What we want as the government is a situation where every citizen from Binga to Chiredzi is also connected.
“That’s what the government wants, to leave no one behind,” Muswere added.
Zwnews
