A Starlink terminal Some Kenyans turned to Elon Musk’s Starlink satellite communications service after the government tried to restrict access to the internet during last year’s protests that left more than 60 dead. Anti-government demonstrations returned in June. This time, though, Starlink’s appeal has faded. Those who purchased the service may have thought it could…
Regulatory obstacles in South Africa could cost Starlink its usual first-mover advantage, potentially allowing Amazon’s Project Kuiper to enter the local market concurrently or even sooner. Kuiper, which began launching satellites in April, plans beta testing soon, with a commercial rollout expected in 2026. Amazon representatives have reportedly met with local telecoms ahead of this…
A roof-mounted Project Kuiper terminal. Image: Amazon Regulatory hurdles in the way of Starlink’s pursuit of a local operating licence could see the SpaceX subsidiary losing the first-mover advantage it has enjoyed in most markets. This as competitor, Amazon’s Project Kuiper, looks to enter the local market. Kuiper in April began launching its satellites into…
SpaceX’s Starlink suffered one of its biggest international outages on Thursday when an internal software failure knocked users offline, a rare disruption for Elon Musk’s powerful satellite internet system. Users in the US and Europe began experiencing the outage at around 9pm SAST, according to Downdetector, a crowdsourced outage tracker. Starlink, which has more than…
South Africa-born billionaire Elon Musk has traded barbs with EFF leader Julius Malema South Africa’s fourth-largest political party, which has long warred with billionaire Elon Musk, has warned it will “never allow” Musk’s Starlink satellite service to be launched in the country. In an address to parliament on Friday, at the department of communications &…
SpaceX subsidiary Starlink has first-mover advantage in the low-Earth orbit (LEO) satellite broadband market, but many well-funded competitors are snapping at its heels, including some from China. As of last month, Starlink had some 7 800 satellites in orbit, accounting for more than 65% of all active LEO constellations. Starlink has already sought regulatory approval to…
Elon Musk’s Starlink is reportedly mulling a significant R2 billion investment in South Africa as a potential strategy to secure an operating license, according to anonymous sources cited by Business Day. This move could be a way for the satellite internet company to work around South Africa’s black empowerment regulations. Read: Nothing Phone 3: A…
Despite widespread smartphone ownership, the lack of dependable fixed broadband in rural communities continues to entrench disparities in education, healthcare and economic opportunity. Yet solutions already exist: government-funded, locally developed innovations that can deliver affordable, high-impact connectivity while keeping ownership and expertise right here at home. It’s time to shift from inventing technology to deliberately…
Paratus Group, Africa’s leading pan-African telecommunications provider and authorised Starlink reseller, proudly announces the launch of Paratus EduLINK: a transformative connectivity solution designed to empower schools in underserved and remote regions with fast, reliable internet. With the campaign message, “Empowering education, anywhere”, Paratus EduLINK leverages Starlink’s low-Earth orbit (LEO) satellite technology to ensure no school…
Image: Starlink Demand for Starlink’s low-Earth-orbit satellite internet service has surged beyond its core use case targeting rural and outlying areas, with many customers in cities around the world choosing it over terrestrial alternatives such as mobile and fibre. But this has created a big headache for the Elon Musk-controlled SpaceX subsidiary, which has resorted…
