- Starlink has officially announced its availability in Zimbabwe. This means that users in the country can now order and access the Internet service directly from the Starlink website.
- The Internet service launched with a monthly subscription fee starting from $50 for Standard and $30 for Mini in the personal and residential category. In the business plan, the cost ranges between $71 to $5,725 monthly.
Paratus, headquartered in Namibia with an office in Zimbabwe, is listed on the Starlink website as an authorised commercial reseller. However, local retailers, including Frampol and Dandemutande have reportedly announced being authorised Starlink resellers in Zimbabwe.
Starlink's availability in Zimbabwe follows its licence approval in May 2024. The Postal and Telecommunications Regulatory Authority of Zimbabwe (POTRAZ) approved its licence to provide advanced Internet and related digital services in Zimbabwe through its sole and exclusive local partner, IMC Communications (Pvt) Ltd.
Before receiving the licence, Starlink was considered illegal in Zimbabwe, and individuals or businesses found distributing and advertising the device were threatened with arrest.
Two weeks before the approval, a Zimbabwean politician's son, Neville Mutsvangwa, was arrested on charges of illegally possessing a Starlink terminal and violating the Postal and Telecommunications Act.
Starlink had previously warned its Zimbabwean users that it would disable its roaming service following a POTRAZ directive. However, it affirmed that it would continue working closely with the authority to obtain the necessary regulatory licence. Now, following an approval, it has officially launched its services in the country.
Many African nations that initially banned Elon Musk’s Starlink have now issued it a licence. This allows the company to legally offer its services and operate in those countries.
For example, Starlink wasn’t allowed to operate in Botswana initially, but it received a licence and, three months after securing approval from the Botswana Communications Regulatory Authority (BOCRA), it officially launched its Internet services in the country.
Aside from Botswana and Zimbabwe, Starlink has also launched in Sierra Leone, a year after receiving its licence to operate.
Meanwhile, while South Africans are finding themselves cut off from the SpaceX’s satellite Internet, they might be joining the list of approved countries soon, as Elon Musk mentioned in response to a post on X that Starlink is “waiting for regulatory approval.”
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