SpaceX, the spacecraft manufacturer and satellite communications company led by Elon Musk, has received a license from the Rwanda Space Agency to launch its Internet and high-speed connectivity service, Starlink, in Rwanda.
The anticipated launch of the satellite Internet service is scheduled to commence operation in April 2023 building on the momentum of its current launch in Nigeria, Africa’s largest market.
In the latest announcement, Francis Ngabo, CEO of Rwanda Space Agency, announced that granting SpaceX’s Starlink the license to operate in Rwanda marks a new milestone in the country’s journey to leverage space capabilities for national progress, Billionaires Africa reported.
Ngabo expressed confidence in Starlink’s potential to positively impact citizens and businesses, and enhance the country’s competitiveness in the global digital economy.
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With Starlink’s launch in Africa in 2022, Elon Musk has stated that the satellite Internet provider will operate in any legal location on Earth.
Starlink’s technology provides high-speed, low-latency broadband Internet via a constellation of orbiting satellites.
In October 2022, Elon Musk announced the availability of satellite broadband service on all seven continents, after successful testing in Antarctica.
SpaceX also plans to launch its satellite Internet service in Tanzania in the first quarter of 2023, subject to regulatory approval. The service will be available in Dar es Salaam, the capital city of Tanzania, and four other cities across the country.