Faith Nyasuguta
Elon Musk’s Starlink satellite internet service has officially launched in Somalia, becoming the latest African country to approve its operations. Musk confirmed the development on Sunday through his platform X (formerly Twitter), marking a significant step forward in Somalia’s efforts to boost digital inclusion.
The announcement follows a launch ceremony held in Mogadishu, attended by Somali government officials and representatives from Starlink. Somalia’s Director of Communication in the Ministry of Telecommunications, Mustafa Yasiin, stated, “We have been in talks with this company (Starlink) for a period of two and half years. We gave them the licence today.”
He added that Starlink would improve the quality of existing internet services and extend access to underserved rural areas.
Although Somalia already benefits from several undersea internet cables, many remote regions remain digitally disconnected. The arrival of Starlink is expected to bridge that gap, bringing high-speed satellite internet to even the hardest-to-reach communities. This expansion aligns with broader efforts across Africa to close the digital divide, especially in countries where infrastructure has been hampered by conflict, poverty, or geography.
Starlink’s Somalia entry follows recent approvals in Niger and Liberia, continuing the service’s growing reach on the continent. Starlink is now active in over 10 African countries, including Kenya, Nigeria, Rwanda, and Mozambique. Its coverage aims to offer low-latency internet service via a network of low-Earth orbit satellites, with performance often superior to traditional networks in remote settings.
However, the expansion hasn’t been without challenges. In South Africa, for instance, authorities banned the importation of Starlink kits in August 2023, citing non-compliance with local regulations. As a result, the service remains unavailable in Africa’s most developed economy.
With just 40% of Africa’s 1.3 billion people currently online, Starlink’s expansion could play a crucial role in lifting the continent’s internet penetration rate, the lowest in the world. For Somalia, which continues to recover from decades of conflict and instability, the arrival of Starlink marks a hopeful leap into a more connected future.
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