Botswana may now formally use Starlink, capping a turbulent process that included numerous regulatory obstacles and protracted talks, making it the 16th market in Africa to welcome the satellite internet service and the 107th market globally.
This occurred three months after the business, after a year of back and forth with the regulator, was granted an operating license by the Botswana Communications Regulatory Authority (BOCRA).
Residents of the country in Southern Africa can now purchase Starlink hardware for P4,820 ($363), plus a monthly subscription fee of P688 ($52) and P314 ($24) for shipment.
Read also: Botswana welcomes Starlink, boosting African internet access
With this launch, SpaceX’s broadband service is positioned to become a disruptor in Botswana’s Internet service provider (ISP) industry, which has historically been controlled by broadband providers like OPQ and Nashua and large mobile network operators like Orange, Mascom, and BTC.
The regulatory bottlenecks
The road leading up to Botswana’s Starlink debut was far from easy. Early in 2023, the business sent BOCRA its initial licence application.
On the other hand, the regulator turned down the application in February 2024 due to incomplete information. Insiders at Starlink claimed the application was comprehensive, but BOCRA insisted the denial was due to incomplete information.
Two weeks after rejecting the application, the telecom authority outlawed the use, sale, and importation of Starlink kits, further exacerbating the problem and casting doubt on the service’s viability in Botswana.
In April 2024, Starlink informed its roaming customers that they could only use the satellite Internet service in regions where the company is authorised to conduct business. The notice also included a warning to effectively disconnect any users of the service—including businesses—in unapproved locations throughout Africa, including Botswana.
Read also: Ghanaian internet users pay 770 GHC monthly for Starlink
Botswana President’s intervention
Executives from Starlink met with President Mokgweetsi Masisi in Dallas, Texas, in May 2024. President Masisi intervened and suggested that BOCRA reevaluate its position. As a result, Starlink’s licence was approved in the same month, over four months after its application was turned down.
Botswana is the sixth nation in Southern Africa to offer satellite Internet access, joining Zambia, Eswatini, Malawi, Mozambique, and Madagascar.
Considering traditional ISPs have had difficulty supplying dependable access, Starlink’s debut into Botswana is noteworthy.
The satellite-based service is anticipated to close this gap by providing high-speed Internet, particularly in rural and underserved areas.
Stakeholders are keenly monitoring Starlink’s operations as they launch in Botswana to observe how the service affects the nation’s ISP market, particularly regarding pricing, competition, and Internet penetration.