Elon Musk has drawn an angry response for claiming Starlink is “not allowed to operate in South Africa because I’m not black”.
Browsing: Starlink
Geopolitical developments have raised the prospect of OneWeb satellites replacing Elon Musk’s Starlink in Ukraine.
Regulation and government policies have hampered the growth of coverage across South Africa. This needs to change.
Elon Musk’s Starlink communications network is facing increasingly stiff challenges to its dominance of high-speed satellite internet.
Talks to license Starlink in South Africa have reportedly stalled over tensions with the Donald Trump administration in the US.
After failing to show up on Wednesday, SpaceX has now formally “withdrawn its interest” in presenting to the regulator.
Starlink is already “sold out” in many African cities, including Nairobi, Lusaka and Harare.
Industry body ACT has told Icasa that the satellite licensing regime should not benefit some players over others.
Elon Musk has waded into South African politics just as SpaceX is seeking a licence to operate in the country.
T-Mobile and Elon Musk’s SpaceX are currently testing the Starlink cell network on a trial basis in the US.