[PODCAST] Elon Musk's Starlink in Nigeria

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May 31, 2022
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2 min read

From Starlink's approval in Nigeria to ANC's proposed ban on DStv's exclusive sports broadcasting rights, today's episode of Techpoint Africa Podcast had us talking about money, the people that have it and those that don't.

The Nigerian Communication Commission (NCC) has licensed Starlink, a satellite Internet constellation service owned by SpaceX, Elon Musk's space exploration company.

While this sounds like good news, there are several areas about the whole story that didn't sit right with Emmanuel.

Starlink is perhaps the fastest satellite Internet provider on the planet, offering Internet speeds of up to 104 megabytes per second because of its over 1,900 satellites orbiting Earth at about 200 to 400 miles away.

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There's speed but there's also an issue with the price. Emmanuel did not spare a moment to state how much he will not be able to afford $110 (₦66,000) for Internet every month.

Price is one thing but the impact of these satellites on the planet is another very big issue. Emmanuel gives the geeky details on why too many satellites orbiting the Earth closely could have cataclysmic repercussions.

Away from SpaceX, DStv is getting some heat in its home country, South Africa. The African National Congress (ANC), South Africa's ruling political party, wants to ban the satellite TV service from having exclusive rights to broadcast national sporting events.

But can this really happen? Chimgozirim points out that the cable TV service gets some of these rights for as much as $200 million every five years, the type of money most services don't have.

The interesting question, however, is where does DStv get this money? Emmanuel went down the rabbit hole and he had some really interesting findings.

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Tune in to the Techpoint Africa Podcast to find out. You can get it on  SpotifyApple Podcasts, and Google Podcasts. You can also get it on your preferred podcast platforms or send us your feedback at [email protected].

He's a geek, a sucker for Blockchain and an all-round tech lover. Find me on Twitter @BoluAbiodun1.
He's a geek, a sucker for Blockchain and an all-round tech lover. Find me on Twitter @BoluAbiodun1.
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He's a geek, a sucker for Blockchain and an all-round tech lover. Find me on Twitter @BoluAbiodun1.

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