Starlink Internet Services Suspended in Zimbabwe Pending Licensing Approval

The internet services provided by Elon Musk’s Starlink have been halted in Zimbabwe until the telecommunications regulator of the nation grants licensing approval, confirmed a senior official.

According to Gift Machengete, the director-general at the Posts and Telecommunications Regulatory Authority of Zimbabwe, the regulatory body requested Starlink to disconnect all kits that were operating illegally within the Southern African nation.

“It’s 100% true that we have asked them to disable those that are connected until they regularize,” Machengete stated in a phone interview from Harare on Friday. “This is illegal—how can we allow people to broadcast before they are licensed?”

Starlink, in response, notified users in Zimbabwe on Friday that the regulator directed them “to disable the service.”

Machengete revealed that he had a conversation with Elon Musk on Thursday, during which he requested SpaceX, the parent company of Starlink, to formally submit an application to provide services in Zimbabwe.

“It was a very cordial meeting and he understood what we are doing,” Machengete remarked. “I don’t think it will take a very long time once they have submitted.”

The trade in Starlink kits has experienced a surge in Zimbabwe, particularly in the informal market. Traders utilized social media platforms for advertising sales, with a single kit fetching as much as R23,500. Earlier this year, the regulatory authority clamped down on the illegal use of Starlink, with police apprehending citizens found using the service without authorization.

Starlink, which caters to more than 2.6 million customers globally, offers broadband internet beamed down from a network of approximately 5,500 satellites deployed by SpaceX since 2019. Zimbabwe is among several African nations, including neighbouring South Africa, that have not yet licensed the service for operation.