Elon Musk’s SpaceX secures license to launch Starlink in Rwanda

SpaceX, the spacecraft manufacturer and satellite communications company led by Elon Musk, the world’s second-richest billionaire has received a license from the Rwanda Space Agency to launch its Internet and high-speed connectivity service, Starlink, in Rwanda.

Scheduled to commence operation in April 2023, the anticipated launch of the satellite Internet service builds on the momentum of its current launch in Nigeria, Africa’s largest market.

With the potential to provide much-needed connectivity to millions of people across the country, including those in remote and underserved areas, it is poised to be a game-changer.

In the latest announcement, Francis Ngabo, CEO of Rwanda Space Agency, announced that granting SpaceX’s Starlink the license to operate in Rwanda marks a new milestone in the country’s journey to leverage space capabilities for national progress.

Emphasizing that the planned Starlink launch is in line with Rwanda’s goal of achieving universal broadband network coverage, Ngabo noted that this alignment would contribute to international connectivity redundancy and near-universal broadband coverage, utilizing space capabilities for national development.

In addition to emphasizing the high speed and reliability of the service, he expressed confidence in its potential to positively impact citizens and businesses, and enhance the country’s competitiveness in the global digital economy.

With Starlink’s launch in Africa in 2022, Elon Musk has stated that the satellite Internet provider will operate in any legal location on Earth. Starlink’s cutting-edge technology provides high-speed, low-latency broadband Internet via a constellation of orbiting satellites.

In October 2022, Elon Musk announced the availability of the satellite broadband service in all seven continents, after successful testing in Antarctica. The primary aim of this initiative is to provide better bandwidth and connectivity to scientists involved in the U.S. Antarctic Program.

SpaceX also plans to launch its satellite Internet service in Tanzania in the first quarter of 2023, subject to regulatory approval. The service will be available in Dar es Salaam, the capital city of Tanzania, and four other cities across the country.