Not N440k: Elon Musk's Starlink Sets Price as It Launches in Another African Country
- SpaceX's satellite internet service, Starlink, made its formal debut in Zimbabwe and costs US$50 a month
- According to the business website, the setup kit also has a one-time payment of US$350
- This comes months after Zimbabwe authorised Elon Musk's SpaceX to operate its satellite internet service
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Legit.ng journalist Zainab Iwayemi has over 3-year-experience covering the Economy, Technology, and Capital Market.
Starlink, a satellite broadband service from SpaceX, has officially debuted in Zimbabwe and is available for US$50 per month.
The setup kit also has a one-time cost of US$350, as stated on the business website.
Source: Getty Images
This occurred four months after Elon Musk's SpaceX was formally given authorisation by Zimbabwe to run Starlink.
As of 2021, just 34.8% of Zimbabweans had access to the internet. With Starlink's introduction, the long-standing problems of expensive data plans and spotty access in rural areas could potentially be resolved.
How Starlink launched in Africa
In January 2023, Elon Musk's Starlink made its debut in Africa, initially launching in Nigeria.
With ambitious aspirations to spread throughout the continent, the next-generation satellite internet provider promises to transform high-speed internet connectivity in Africa.
Some African nations—Nigeria, Kenya, Mozambique, Rwanda, Malawi, and Zambia—had official access to the service by October 2023.
Business Insider reported that at least 14 African nations, including Mauritius and Sierra Leone, have now been reached by Starlink since that time. Adding to the list is Zimbabwe, the most recent.
Legit.ng earlier reported that Starlink slashed the price of its hardware by 45% to N440,000 as the naira strengthened against the US dollar.
Starlink announced the new rate on Wednesday, April 10, 2024.
As of April 9, 2024, the Starlink hardware, which sold for N800,000, was now worth N440,000. The standard internet service subscription remained the same at N38,000 monthly.
Elon Musk introduces low-cost mini Starlink dish
Legit.ng reported that SpaceX was set to launch the much-awaited Starlink mini dish, an innovative gadget that promises to revolutionise internet accessibility, especially in underprivileged areas.
The new product aims to give people in isolated areas—where physical connections are unfeasible and mobile connections only offer restricted bandwidth—access to satellite-based internet service.
The Starlink mini is regarded as a game-changer. It is substantially smaller and more portable than the existing 23.4-inch by 15.07-inch Starlink dish, which measures only 11.4 inches by 9.8 inches.
Proofreading by Nkem Ikeke, journalist and copy editor at Legit.ng.
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