The Postal and Telecommunication Regulatory Authority of Zimbabwe (POTRAZ) said that Starlink has expressed interest in operating in Zimbabwe and has been provided with all the relevant information for it to apply.
Reports suggest that several companies including parastatals and individuals already are using Starlink internet service.
The Herald reported POTRAZ director general Gift Machengete as saying the authority has no intention to block Starlink in any way despite it currently being unlicensed to provide services in Zimbabwe. Said Machengete:
They have expressed interest in offering services in Zimbabwe and have been provided with all the relevant information for them to apply. They have not yet done so.
This means that their service offering in Zimbabwe is illegal because for as long as they remain without a licence.
Some reports claim that the Government wants Starlink to operate in the country through middlemen, a requirement the internet provider reportedly rejected.
Last month, Machengete warned companies illegally advertising and distributing internet services and gadgets from Starlink, which is not licenced to operate in Zimbabwe, that they will be prosecuted.
In February, a Guruve-based Chinese mining company, San He, was fined US$700 by a Bindura magistrate, and early this month, Zambezi Boutique Private Limited, a Victoria Falls-based company, was fined US$500 for unauthorised use of Starlink internet services.
Starlink is currently available in several African countries, including Nigeria, Mozambique, Zambia, Kenya, and Malawi.
Starlink offers several advantages that include high download and upload speeds, availability and reliability in remote areas, weather resilience, unlimited data usage, and portability, among others.
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