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Starlink satellite internet constellation, which provides satellite Internet access to 47 countries across the globe has been issued a license to operate in Rwanda.
Starlink satellite internet constellation, which provides satellite Internet access to 47 countries across the globe has been issued a license to operate in Rwanda. Announcing the news the Rwanda Space Agency (RSA) spacecraft manufacturing company said that the operations are expected to begin in the first quarter of 2023.
Rwanda is the fourth country in Africa to issue a license to Starlink operated by SpaceX. the company founded by billionaire Elon Musk. The other African countries are Mozambique, Nigeria, and Malawi. Francis Ngabo, the CEO of RSA said that Starlink services will be far superior to traditional satellite communication. It will offer internet service through its network of Low Earth Orbit (LEO) satellites, at higher speed and lower latency broadband internet.
During the trials undertaken to test Starlink connectivity in Rwanda, Starlink speed reached up to 150 Mbps with a very low latency of 20 to 40 milliseconds (ms). RSA indicates that the Starlink technology will upscale internet access in remote and rural areas where traditional wireless, cable, and fiber-optic infrastructure is often unviable. Unserved areas like national parks also can benefit from the services. Ngabo added that the entry of Starlink paves the way for the deployment of satellite broadband internet services in Rwanda.
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He clarified that the idea is not to replace existing internet service providers but to complement and improve services and provide a backup option in case of breakdowns or outages in the primary network. In fact, the services are expected to boost broadband competitiveness in the country and contribute to the national ambition of establishing international connectivity redundancy and near-universal broadband coverage.
