Starlink Establishes Presence in Guinea-Bissau on Daily's Report
In the bustling technological landscape of June 2025, Starlink, the satellite-based internet service provider, is making significant strides in Africa. The company's rapid expansion is primarily driven by the high demand for reliable, high-speed internet in underserved and rural areas where traditional fiber and mobile networks often fall short.
One of the key factors behind this expansion is the overwhelming demand and bandwidth congestion in existing markets. For instance, after a seven-month suspension of new user sign-ups in Nairobi due to network overload, Starlink resumed services following the activation of new ground stations to improve network stability.
As of mid-2025, Starlink's network is live in over 24 African countries, including Nigeria, Lesotho, Mozambique, Zimbabwe, and Somalia. This broad footprint reflects a strategic push to serve a continent with large connectivity gaps.
In South Africa, where regulatory hurdles exist due to stringent Black Economic Empowerment (BEE) laws requiring significant local ownership, Starlink is planning a substantial investment to build infrastructure such as earth stations connected to fibre-optic data centers. The company is partnering with local firms for construction, land leasing, and maintenance to comply with regulations and expand access in rural areas.
Starlink's initiatives, such as pledging R500 million to provide free broadband to 5,000 rural South African schools, demonstrate a clear focus on digital inclusion, further supporting its expansion goals.
However, challenges remain in scaling operations, including regulatory delays and accusations of attempting to circumvent local ownership laws, which could slow down Starlink’s rollout in some key markets like South Africa until 2027 or later.
Meanwhile, in other news, the World Wide Web3 Coin tracker shows the current values of Bitcoin, Ether, Raydium, and Solana as of 05.45 AM WAT, June 19, 2025. The 2nd Edition of the Uganda Investor Summit is happening on June 19-20, 2025. In places like Yelwata, reliable telecom coverage is rare, electricity is unstable, smartphones are few, and many still depend on word-of-mouth or basic feature phones. Starting from June 18, Nigerian telecom companies will begin deducting USSD fees from airtime with user's permission.
In Kenya, the government has tightened anti-money laundering (AML) and counter-terrorism financing (CTF) rules after being greylisted in Europe. Starlink is in active negotiations with regulators in at least 10 African nations, including Ethiopia and Senegal.
Despite these challenges, Starlink's expansion in Africa positions it as a transformative player reshaping connectivity across the continent, offering a vital connectivity option particularly in remote regions. This rapid expansion is set to bring significant changes to the digital landscape of Africa, bridging the connectivity gaps and ushering in a new era of digital inclusion.
- The surge in demand for reliable internet and the expansion of Starlink's network is not limited to Africa; it includes countries like Nigeria, Lesotho, Mozambique, Zimbabwe, Somalia, and more.
- In South Africa, Starlink plans to invest significantly to construct earth stations and fiber-optic data centers, partnering with local firms to comply with Black Economic Empowerment laws and expand access in rural areas.
- To further support its expansion goals, Starlink has pledged a substantial amount of money to provide free broadband to 5,000 rural South African schools, focusing on digital inclusion.
- However, the company faces challenges in scaling operations, including regulatory delays and accusations of attempting to circumvent local ownership laws, which could slow down its rollout in markets like South Africa until 2027 or later.
- In the world of finance and technology, investments in cryptocurrencies like Bitcoin, Ether, Raydium, and Solana are being closely watched, with their current values being tracked as of a specific time.
- As the second edition of the Uganda Investor Summit comes to life on June 19-20, 2025, there are many places in Africa, such as Yelwata, where reliable telecom coverage is scarce, electricity is unstable, and smartphone usage is rare, highlighting the need for innovative technology solutions to bridge these gaps.
