President Yoweri Kaguta Museveni has officially granted Elon Musk’s satellite internet company, Starlink, permission to begin operations in Uganda.
The announcement was made in a statement issued on Tuesday, April 29, following a high-level meeting with Starlink representatives held on Monday at State House, Nakasero.
During the meeting, President Museveni hosted Ben MacWilliams and Brandi Oliver from Starlink, alongside Uganda’s Permanent Representative to the United Nations, Ambassador Adonia Ayebare, and U.S. Ambassador to Uganda, William Popp.
While giving the go-ahead, Museveni underscored the American firm’s commitment to expanding low-cost internet access, especially in underserved and remote regions of Uganda.
“I appreciate their commitment to providing low-cost internet in hard-to-reach areas and establishing a presence in Uganda. They are welcome,” said President Museveni.
Starlink is currently live in 19 African countries, including Kenya, where it began commercial operations in July 2023.
At the time, the firm charged Ksh89,000 for the standard terminal kit and a Ksh6,500 monthly subscription.
Also Read: Starlink Doubles Kenyan Market Share in 3 Months After Lowering Prices- Report
Since then, prices have gone down, with the terminals now costing Ksh45,500, and monthly data packages as low as Ksh1,300 for residential packages.
Starlink in Kenya and Nigeria
The American firm held 1.1% share of the fixed data market for Internet Service Providers (ISP) as of the close of September 2024.
This was up from 0.5% at the end of June of the same year, according to the Communications Authority of Kenya (CA).
The share was however, marginal compared to other players such as telecommunications giant Safaricom (36.1%), Jamii Telecom (23.6%), and Wananchi Group (15.4%).
In Nigeria, Starlink in March this year emerged as the second largest IS) by customer numbers just two years after its launch.
Also Read: Starlink’s Uptake in Kenya Slows Months After Doubling Market Share- Report
A report by the Nigerian Communications Commission (NCC) revealed that the firm had 65,564 subscribers in September 2024, up nearly threefold from 23,897 users at the end of 2023.
Market leader Spectranet had 105,441 active subscribers in Q3 2024, experiencing a decline of over 8,000 users since December 2023.
On its part, the country’s third-largest player, FiberOne, had 33,010 customers in the third quarter of last year.
Besides Nigeria and Kenya, other key African markets for Starlink include Mozambique, Rwanda and Malawi. The company plans to expand to 15 additional African markets in 2025 to add to the 19 that it is currently live in.
The satellite firm has, however, encountered roadblocks in South Africa, the birthplace of its billionaire owner Elon Musk.
The South African government has been reluctant to grant Starlink a license, insisting that the firm must cede at least 30% equity in its local unit to ownership by black people, women, youth and people living with disabilities – a requirement for any telecommunications company seeking a license in the country.
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