Starlink, SpaceX’s Low-Earth Orbit (LEO) satellite internet service, is now operational in Niger after the country’s military government granted it a five-year license to provide high-speed connectivity.
- Starlink is now operational in Niger after the country granted a five-year license.
- Niger has low internet penetration and limited digital infrastructure, covering only 30% of its territory.
- Starlink faces obstacles in some African countries, such as South Africa, where it is not allowed to operate.
Starlink, SpaceX’s Low-Earth Orbit (LEO) satellite internet service, is now operational in Niger after the country’s military government granted it a five-year license to provide high-speed connectivity.
This makes Niger the latest African country to approve Starlink, following its recent launch in Liberia in January.
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Niger has one of the lowest internet penetration rates in Africa, with only 32% of its population having online access. The country’s digital infrastructure remains underdeveloped, covering just 30% of its territory, leaving vast rural areas disconnected.
This limited access is partly due to low investment in the sector and ongoing attacks on communication infrastructure by armed groups, according to the electronic communications regulator ARCEP.
By leveraging satellite technology, Starlink aims to bridge this gap and provide fast, reliable internet across the country.
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Starlink’s operation in Africa
Starlink’s expansion in Africa is part of a broader trend to improve connectivity on a continent where only 40% of the 1.3 billion people have internet access, the lowest rate globally.
However, the service has encountered obstacles in some nations. For example, despite its presence in neighbouring countries, Starlink remains absent in South Africa, Africa’s largest and most industrialized economy. In August 2023, South Africa banned the import of Starlink kits, leaving the country cut off from SpaceX’s satellite internet.
Talks to introduce the service in the country have repeatedly stalled, even as demand for alternative internet solutions continues to grow. Elon Musk recently claimed that Starlink is not allowed to operate in South Africa because he is “not Black.”
Starlink, which serves over 2.6 million customers worldwide, provides broadband internet through a network of approximately 5,500 satellites that SpaceX started deploying in 2019.
