Lesotho has officially granted Elon Musk’s Starlink a license to operate its satellite network and offer satellite internet services in the country.
- Lesotho grants Starlink a 10-year license to operate its satellite network and offer internet services.
- Starlink has expanded operations to at least 18 African nations since launching in Nigeria in January 2023.
- Starlink’s expansion in Africa aims to enhance internet access in a continent where only 40% of the population is online.
Lesotho has officially granted Elon Musk’s Starlink a license to operate its satellite network and offer satellite internet services in the country, the Lesotho Communications Authority (LCA) announced on Monday.
According to the LCA, the license awarded to Starlink Lesotho is valid for 10 years.
The small African kingdom was hit earlier this month with 50% tariffs on exports to the United States, the highest rate imposed on any single country under former President Donald Trump’s now-paused reciprocal tariffs policy.
However, the levies were reduced to 10% last week, granting a 90-day reprieve.
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Starlink’s steady African expansion
Since launching in Nigeria, Africa’s most populous country, in January 2023, Starlink has expanded its operations to at least 18 African nations.
Earlier this week, Somalia approved the satellite internet service, following similar approvals in Niger in March and Liberia in January.
Starlink’s growing footprint in Africa reflects a wider push to enhance internet access across the continent, where just 40% of the 1.3 billion population is online, the lowest internet penetration rate in the world.
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Despite its rapid expansion, Starlink has encountered regulatory challenges in parts of Africa. Notably, the service is still unavailable in South Africa, the continent’s most industrialized nation.
In August 2023, South African authorities imposed a ban on the importation of Starlink kits, effectively cutting off access to SpaceX’s satellite internet in the country.
Currently, Starlink serves over 2.6 million users worldwide, using a network of around 5,500 satellites that SpaceX started launching in 2019.
