SpaceX has reportedly entered the African marketplace debuting its satellite operations in the continental commercial market, Nigeria. The satellite company owned by Elon Musk has debuted its satellite internet connectivity as a service in Nigeria which makes it remarkable as the first African marketplace to launch the Starlink internet service.
Despite Elon Musk’s banter about launching the Starlink 5G internet network in Nigeria, the likes of MTN Nigeria, Glo, Mafab Communications, 9mobile, and Airtel have already acquired licenses to the frontline the fifth generation internet broadband connection in the local market.
SpaceX shared the announcement via the bird app owned by Elon Musk — tweeting about the Starlink launch in Nigeria to penetrate the African marketplace. “Starlink officiates its operations in Nigeria as the first African country to receive SpaceX’s satellite internet service,” as the tweet reads.
Starlink is now available in Nigeria – the first African country to receive service! → https://t.co/slZbTmZmAt
— SpaceX (@SpaceX) January 30, 2023
The Nigerian Minister Of Communications And Digital Economy, Isa Pantami confirmed Starlink’s debut in Africa. Pantami’s confirmation of SpaceX’s satellite internet service operating in Nigeria reads another quoted tweet on SpaceX’s announcement.
We have made it again. @SpaceX thank you for hosting me in your Headquarters, USA in December, 2022 to complete the logistics for the deployment. https://t.co/gkp2sBkR8i
— Prof. Isa Ali Ibrahim (@ProfIsaPantami) January 31, 2023
According to Pantami’s tweet that quotes Starlink’s debut in Nigeria, the satellite internet provider’s parent company hosted the Nigerian minister of communications and digital economy in the States. This happened in the previous business year when both parties met to discuss the terms of operating the satellite internet service in the local market awaiting the issued telecom license.
Starlink’s satellite internet service in Nigeria seems to be expensive pared with other telecom service providers in the local market. The starter kit price to purchase Starlink’s internet hardware costs $600 which is equivalent to N274,098. However, the subscription price tag for the starter kit’s hardware cost $43 which is equivalent to N19,260.
“Starlink is currently available in your area. Customers in your region typically see download speeds of 50-200 Mbps. No contracts, 30-day trial,” Starlink said. “Shipping times are currently estimated to be 1 to 2 weeks from order… N19,260/month for service and N274,098 for hardware.”
Starlink Nigeria’s debut revealed that the satellite internet service will be less expensive for customers patronizing the satellite internet service. Customers are eligible to access the custom 30-day free trial which is entitled to a lower subscription rate afterward. However, it is a no-brainer the Caucasian satellite internet provider aims at enticing Nigerians with smooth internet offers to penetrate the continent.
In 2022 when SpaceX’s telecom company was negotiating with the Nigerian minister of communications and digital economy, Starlink was preparing to logistic its telecom technology to Nigeria for its custom satellite internet broadband installation.
At the time, Pantami’s and the Nigerian Communication Commission (NCC) licensed Starlink to operate on IXPN. The license approval came up when Elon Musk acquired Twitter as the official bird app that tweets his executive indulgence managing his companies announcements, such as SpaceX, Starlink, Tesla, Twitter.
