BULAWAYO
–
SpaceX’s
broadband
satellite
internet
service,
Starlink,
is
now
available
in
Zimbabwe
for
US$50
a
month,
plus
US$350
for
a
setup
kit,
the
company
said
on
its
website.
Several
local
companies
have
obtained
government
approvals
to
work
as
Starlink’s
local
resellers,
but
the
company’s
website
shows
it
is
doing
direct
sales
to
customers
who
must
pay
US$23
for
shipping.
Customers
who
opt
for
the
Starlink
Mini,
ideal
for
basic
internet
use
and
smaller
households
but
with
a
cap
of
100
Mbps
compared
to
the
standard
package
with
speeds
of
up
to
200
Mbps,
will
pay
US$200
for
the
setup
kit
and
a
monthly
subscription
of
US$30.
The
system,
which
brings
connectivity
where
there
is
no
land-based
network,
is
seen
as
a
game
changer
in
Zimbabwe
where
data
prices
are
high
and
rural
communities
are
unserved.
Zimbabwe’s
telecom
regulator
POTRAZ
approved
the
licensing
of
Elon
Musk’s
Starlink
in
May,
with
President
Emmerson
Mnangagwa
saying
the
service
would
“result
in
the
deployment
of
high
speed,
low
cost,
low-earth-orbit
internet
infrastructure
throughout
Zimbabwe
and
particularly
in
all
the
rural
areas.”
A
World
Bank
report
in
2021
said
only
34.8
percent
of
Zimbabwe’s
population
had
access
to
the
internet.
The
country’s
internet
service
is
dominated
by
three
major
mobile
network
operators
–
Econet,
NetOne
and
Telecel.
Starlink
made
its
African
debut
in
January
2023,
with
Nigeria
as
its
first
launch
site.
The
service
is
now
available
in
14
African
countries,
including
Zimbabwe’s
neighbours
Eswatini,
Botswana,
Zambia,
Malawi
and
Mozambique.