By Business Reporter-Global satellite-based internet service provider Starlink has announced its service plan for Zimbabwe.
The South Africa-born American billionaire, Mr Elon Musk project will be available in Zimbabwe starting the third quarter of the year and is expected to revolutionise the information communication and technology service in the country through high speed and increased coverage to areas that had over the years been excluded.
Its entry will see Zimbabwe joining a select group of African countries using high-speed, low-cost broadband internet services after the Government at the weekend approved the licencing of Starlink.
The licencing requirements are now being worked out.
Posts and Telecommunication and Regulatory Authority of Zimbabwe director-general Gift Machengete told the state media that satellite services would go a long way in enhancing internet service provision.
“With regard to Starlink, they have indicated in their application that they will roll out service in the third quarter of the year. That is what they have said. In their application they will provide backhauling connectivity and they can also enter into commercial arrangements with local players.”
Machengete said there were a lot of advantages that could be derived from satellite telecommunication service providers.
“Satellite service providers provide high-speed internet services. There will be areas that they will be providing services that have not had the service, like the rural areas, where there is no optic fibre.”
Backhaul is a telecommunications term that refers to the process of carrying data from a smaller, local network to a larger, more powerful network. It is the network infrastructure that powers the Internet.
It serves as an intermediate between the main network and the small networks used for distribution to other smaller channels.
Starlink is an internet system that uses low-earth orbit satellites, which allow almost instantaneous connections and far lower power than the signal lags and higher power requirements of geostationary satellites.
The Government announced at the weekend that it had approved the licencing of Starlink by Potraz.
Starlink is currently officially offered in a few African nations, including Nigeria, Mozambique, Zambia, Kenya and Malawi.
-State media