Zimbabwe’s minister of information, publicity, and broadcasting services, Jenfan Muswere, has disclosed that Starlink has submitted an application for an operating licence to the country’s communications authority.
Muswere noted that the Postal & Telecommunications Regulatory Authority of Zimbabwe is presently examining the application.
“What I remember is that they submitted their application for licencing and POTRAZ was still going through that application… Of course, we want to see it approved,” he told journalists on Monday.
Following an uptick in cases of reselling around the country a few of weeks ago, POTRAZ issued a warning against the unauthorised usage of Starlink.
Muswere further asserts that Zimbabwe would be seeking to authorise Starlink because it is difficult to use fiber-optic connections to connect the entire nation to the internet throughout the country. Starlink intends to begin operations in the nation in Q4 2023, according to its website.
5.74 million people used the internet in Zimbabwe as of January 2023, which equals a 35% internet penetration rate, according to DataReportal’s observations. By 2025, the country hopes to have more than 75% of its population using the internet.
