Starlink launches in South Sudan after getting license to operate

AFRICAN BUSINESS AND ECONOMYJuly 22, 2024 at 2:40 PM UTC

TLDR

Starlink officially launches internet services in South Sudan, offering affordability and transparency in pricing.
Customers required to register and pay in South Sudanese pounds equivalent to US dollar rates.
Local distributors to be appointed by Starlink for managing service and equipment distribution within the country.

Starlink has officially launched its services in South Sudan with the approval of the National Communications Authority (NCA), aiming to bring affordable internet services to the country.

Customers will need to register with the service and make payments in South Sudanese pounds, equivalent to the US dollar prices set by Starlink, ensuring transparency and affordability according to the NCA.

Starlink will soon select local distributors to manage the distribution of its services and equipment within the country. In the meantime, the regulator urged people not to import Starlink kits through unauthorized distributors, as this is illegal under the National Communication Act of 2012.

Key Takeaways

South Sudan has one of the lowest connectivity rates in the world. According to Kepios, as of January 2024, South Sudan has 1.36 million internet users, reflecting a penetration rate of 12.1%. This indicates that almost 88% of the population remains offline. Meanwhile, the latest statistics from GSMA show that there were 3.97 million mobile connections in South Sudan at the beginning of the year, resulting in a penetration rate of 35.5% and representing a 7.7% increase from the previous year. However, the actual penetration rate may be lower when accounting for multiple SIM ownership. For Starlink, this marks the latest breakthrough in its rocky pan-African expansion rollout.

Starlink

South Sudan

Internet Access

Connectivity

Digital Infrastructure

Broadband Internet

Satellite Internet