Ugandan President Yoweri Museveni announced on Tuesday that he held a “productive meeting” with representatives of Starlink, the satellite internet service owned by tech billionaire Elon Musk, as the company eyes entry into the East African nation.

Starlink, a unit of Musk’s aerospace firm SpaceX, has been aggressively expanding its footprint across Africa, with services already live in over a dozen countries. Most recently, it received operational licenses in Somalia and Lesotho earlier this month.

In a post on social media platform X (formerly Twitter), President Museveni expressed support for Starlink’s proposed investment: “I appreciate their commitment to providing low-cost internet in hard-to-reach areas and establishing a presence in Uganda. They are welcome.”

Uganda has long struggled with high internet costs and patchy connectivity, particularly in rural regions. Consumers and advocacy groups frequently cite the lack of market competition as a major contributor to poor service quality.

It remains unclear whether Starlink has formally applied for a license to operate in Uganda. Attempts by Reuters to reach the Uganda Communications Commission (UCC) for confirmation received no response.

Uganda’s internet market is currently dominated by MTN Uganda, a subsidiary of South African telecoms giant MTN Group, with Indian-owned Airtel Uganda serving as its primary competitor.

If approved, Starlink’s entry could inject fresh competition into the sector and potentially reshape the digital landscape in Uganda, especially in underserved areas.