Starlink, owned by Elon Musk has started operations in Rwanda with its inter-satellite links commonly known as space lasers.
The Ministry of ICT and Innovation has earlier reported that the high-speed internet service was to be officially launched in the country on the 22nd of February.
“You can expect Starlink’s typical high-speed, low-latency service intermixed with brief periods of poor connectivity. However, this will improve dramatically over time,” said an official from the Ministry of ICT and Innovation.
This is coming after Elon Musk announced that the operation of his Starlink Space X for broadband services and Nigeria’s telecommunications sector is about to start operation. This means this year will be very competitive for the network operators.
Starlink Package Cost And Features
The service will initially offer no contract but will offer a 90-day trial instead. It will cost Rwf48,000 per month, with an initial amount of Rwf572,000 for hardware, bringing the total amount to over Rwf600,000 (₦253,000).
The hardware features a dish, router, power supply, and cable which customers and users will only be required to acquire once.
According to reports, the monthly fee was more than halved compared to the existing rates, setting its price compared to the area in t is availing its services.
How Rwanda Will Benefit From This
Now that Starlink has launched in Rwanda, unserved and underserved villages in urban, suburban areas and rural areas. This will boost the country’s internet penetration.
Schools are also among Rwandan institutions given priority to benefit from the Starlink internet, which will help pilot 500 schools.
Conclusion
Starlink has deployed over 2,000 satellites and plans to launch more. It offers high-speed, low-latency satellite internet service with download speeds between 100 megabits per second and 200 Mbps.
Rwanda is the first country in the region to offer Starlink’s services, which are accessed through low-orbit satellites (making it even faster).
The new service is currently available in more than 30 countries, mainly in North America and Europe.
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