Elon Musk lists potentials of Starlink as it gets approved in Nigeria and Mozambique

Elon Musk announced in a tweet on Friday that Starlink, the satellite internet service launched by SpaceX, his space exploration company, has been approved in Nigeria and Mozambique. (Read More Here). 

Elon Musk has taken to his Twitter page to list the potentials of Starlink. He says: “One Starlink can provide Internet for an entire school of hundreds of students. Great potential to lift people out of poverty. Providing Internet is teaching people to fish. Starlink approved by Nigeria 🇳🇬 & Mozambique.”

The Nigerian Communications Commission (NCC) confirmed to Nairametrics that it has licensed Starlink, a satellite internet constellation operated by SpaceX, providing satellite Internet access coverage to 32 countries. This licensing followed a visit to Nigeria by the company’s team in May last year. 

“The company received two licenses, which include the International Gateway license and Internet Service Provider (ISP) license, and will be trading as Starlink Internet Services Nigeria Ltd. According to NCC, the International Gateway license has a 10-year tenure while the ISP license is to last for five years. Both licenses take effect from May 2022 and may be renewed after the expiration.” NCC

Elated Elon Musk took to his Twitter handle to announce this development, which Nairametrics also confirmed from the NCC. 

With high speeds and latency as low as 20 minutes in most locations, Starlink enables video calls, online gaming, streaming, and other high data rate activities that historically have not been possible with satellite internet.

Users also have the option to take Starlink with them via the Portability feature or Starlink. Starlink brings much-needed competition to Nigerian telecom operators such as MTN and Airtel, who have had to compete against each other without improving their internet quality.

There’s one argument against Starlink, though: it’s expensive. At $110 (~₦60,500) for preorder — also its monthly price — and $599 (~₦330,000) for a full kit, including a terminal, mounting tripod, and Wi-Fi router, Starlink’s price is pricey for the average Nigerian — and Mozambique user. Its premium service costs about $2,500 (~₦1.375 million) for the full kit and $500 (~₦275,000) monthly.

After SpaceX representatives provided an overview of its plans, expectations, licensing requests and deployment phases, the Executive Vice-Chairman, NCC, Prof. Umar Danbatta, represented by the Executive Commissioner, Technical Services, NCC, Ubale Maska, promised them that the NCC would work on necessary modalities to ensure that it balances the need for healthy competition vis-a-vis the entry of new technologies, in order to protect all industry stakeholders.

Maska had said: “As the regulator of a highly dynamic sector in Nigeria, the Commission is conscious of the need to ensure that our regulatory actions are anchored on national interest. We have listened to your presentation and we will review it vis-à-vis our regulatory direction of ensuring effective and a sustainable telecoms ecosystem where a licensee’s operational model does not dampen healthy competition among other licensees.”