Vodacom Group has announced a “pivotal” agreement with Elon Musk’s Starlink to significantly expand internet access across Africa, targeting businesses and accelerating rural network coverage. Read: Discovery Bank partners with Luno in SA for crypto trading The core of the partnership involves integrating Starlink’s satellite backhaul into Vodacom’s existing mobile network. This strategic integration is…
Dominic Cull Ryan Goodnight, senior director of market access and development at SpaceX, told Africa Tech Festival attendees last week that Starlink could launch in South Africa “tomorrow” if four lines in the licensing regulations were deleted. But communications lawyer Dominic Cull of Ellipsis Regulatory Solutions is unequivocal: not only is that timeline impossible but…
The most direct competitor to Starlink, Amazon.com’s Project Kuiper, has changed its name to Amazon Leo. According to a statement on Thursday, the “Leo” in the new name refers to low-Earth orbit, aligning the brand more closely with the type of service it provides to its customers. “Like most early Amazon projects, the programme needed…
Vodacom Group CEO Shameel Joosub Vodacom Group has announced what it has described as a “pivotal” agreement with Elon Musk’s Starlink to provide internet access to businesses across Africa. The agreement will also result in expanded rural network coverage. “Integrating Starlink’s satellite backhaul into Vodacom’s mobile network will accelerate network coverage expansion while increasing network…
European aerospace groups unveiled a preliminary deal on Thursday to pool their loss-making satellite manufacturing activities, combining forces after months of negotiations to counter the runaway growth of rivals led by Elon Musk’s Starlink. The keenly awaited deal between Airbus, Thales and Leonardo would create a new venture starting from 2027, subject to approval by…
Elon Musk’s SpaceX says it has cut Starlink satellite communication links to more than 2,500 devices used by scam compounds in Myanmar. More than 30 compounds are believed to be operating along the Thai-Myanmar border, where people from around the world are trafficked and forced to work on scams generating tens of billions of dollars…
SpaceX achieved a monumental milestone on Sunday, successfully launching 56 additional Starlink satellites into low Earth orbit (LEO). This latest deployment officially pushed the total number of satellites launched by the company past the 10,000 mark. Read: Google South Africa launches AI glossary in Zulu, Xhosa and Afrikaans The record-setting launch was accomplished using a…
In this episode of ITWeb TV, news editor Admire Moyo speaks to Q-KON group CEO, Dr Dawie de Wet about the state of satellite broadband internet connectivity in SA and the company’s plans, as Starlink’s SA launch remains in limbo. He also touches on the impact of space debris as a result of LEO satellites…
Starlink, the satellite internet division of SpaceX, has affirmed its commitment to launching in South Africa, announcing plans to spend R2.5 billion on local infrastructure and pledging compliance with Black Economic Empowerment (BEE) legislation. Read: Sony ULT Field 5 Review: ULTimately Based Ryan Goodnight, Senior Director of Market Access at SpaceX, delivered the update at…
Starlink will comply with South African black economic empowerment legislation, is ready to launch services in the country and will spend R2.5-billion doing so, a company executive said on Tuesday. Ryan Goodnight, senior director in charge of market access at Starlink owner SpaceX, told the annual general meeting of South Africa’s Internet Service Providers’ Association…
