Elon Musk’s Starlink sees Somalia as a high-potential market to launch its satellite internet services, as nearly 90% of Somalis do not have access to the internet.
After launching its services in Nigeria and Rwanda, Starlink plans to continue its expansion strategy in Africa, which began in 2021.
Indeed, the national news agency (SONNA) reported that the satellite internet provider, which is owned by the American company SpaceX, wants to launch its commercial services in Somalia, noting that discussions are underway between the company and the National Communications Authority (NCA) to obtain the license.
In this context, a representative of SpaceX expressed his joy to explain the functioning of the company’s system and its contribution to Somalia in case of obtaining the NCA’s authorization, adding that the company intends to cooperate with telecommunication companies and Internet service providers operating in Somalia.
The US company SpaceX aspires to provide broadband everywhere on the planet, including remote and landlocked areas, as these areas are difficult for mobile operators’ terrestrial networks to access, so only a satellite system could do the trick.
The launch date of Starlink’s services is unknown at this time. However, according to the launch schedule, a further 21 countries are expected to receive these services this year.
According to DataReportal statistics, Somalia had only 1.76 million internet users in January 2023 and 7.99 million mobile users.