Elon Musk-owned Starlink has launched in Zimbabwe three months after securing an operating licence in the Southern African nation. The company will offer its services through a government-approved local partner IMC Communications.
According to Starlinks website, the hardware will cost $350 with a $50 monthly subscription and Starlink mini for $200 and a $30 subscription. Unlike in other African countries where Starlink offers local currency pricing, customers in Zimbabwe will be charged in dollars.
Starlinks launch in Zimbabwe comes as the satellite internet service continues to make inroads into African countries despite regulatory troubles. In August, the company launched in Botswanaits sixth country in southern Africa.
In September 2023, Zimbabwes regulator the Postal Telecommunications Regulatory Authority of Zimbabwe (POTRAZ) announced that Starlink applied for a license . The regulator would later crack down on unregistered users smuggling in Starlink devices from neighbouring Zambia, warning that they were breaking the law.
In October 2023, some Zimbabwean legislators argued that Starlinks operating license should be rejected because Musks other comapny, X, was being used to allegedly disparage the countrys leadership, including President Emerson Mnangagwa.
