Musk says Starlink waits for go-ahead in SA
Elon Musk says SpaceX is waiting for regulatory approval to launch its Starlink satellite internet service in South Africa.The SpaceX and Tesla founder made a terse statement on the process in South Africa in response to a post on X on Sunday.
A South African X user, with an account named "Boer", published a post about the difficulties of educating their children online with a six Mbps satellite internet service attached to a windpump – and pleaded for Starlink to be brought to the country.
Musk responded to the user and said: "Waiting for regulatory approval".
He provided no further context.
Access
But a spokesperson from the Independent Communications Regulator of South Africa (Icasa) confirmed Monday that it had not yet received an application from SpaceX for a communications licence.
Starlink has created a high-speed internet network accessible almost anywhere on the planet with the right hardware through its fleet of satellites that are in low-Earth orbit.
The service is particularly revolutionary in rural areas with small populations, where providing internet services isn't profitable.
Starlink and other satellite internet providers don't have the same problem, as its network already covers the globe.
However, to operate legally, most countries require communications providers to apply for a licence.
Stumbling blocks
While Starlink has started to clear regulatory hurdles across Africa, including in South Africa's neighbours in Botswana, Zimbabwe, Mozambique and eSwatini, local regulations have proven too challenging.
A provision in the Electronic Communication Act requires holders of communications licences to be 30% owned by historically disadvantaged groups. This is thought to be the biggest stumbling block that has prevented SpaceX from making an application.
Icasa recently signalled its intent to accommodate international satellite internet service providers. In August, the communications regulator placed a notice in the Government Gazette that proposed an inquiry for new satellite rules in the country.
Among other targets, the inquiry will attempt to set out procedures for the registration of international satellite operators.
Last month, SpaceX finally started to clamp down on people who were accessing Starlink illegally in South Africa.
Some people had been able to access the services by taking out Starlink roaming packages in other countries and transporting the dishes into South Africa to use locally.
Starlink now appears to be enforcing a so-called "two-month rule" where its services will stop working outside of the country where a subscription is taken out - if the dish is not returned to the home country for over two months.
-FIN24