Ghana announces Starlink authorisation to address internet shortfalls

A Starlink satellite internet system is set up near the frontline town of Bakhmut amid Russia's attack on Ukraine, Donetsk region, Ukraine March 8, 2023. REUTERS/Lisi Niesner/File Photo

Source: X07702

Ghana’s government has announced plans to authorise the satellite internet network Starlink to operate in the West African nation to deal with the internet shortages being faced in the country.

The Ghanaian Minister for Communications and Digitalisation, Ursula Owusu-Ekuful made this declaration at a parliamentary briefing on March 18 following the recent internet outages that have hit some parts of West and Central Africa.

“We have licensed satellite gateway air stations, landing rights, and satellite air station networks. One web has already been licensed. Starlink is in the process of being licensed and other operators are being encouraged to land in Ghana,” the Minister said.

“We must also invest in operationalising RASCOM, the Regional African Satellite Company, instead of each country going alone,” she added.

The minister claimed that before the current disruption of the internet, her organisation lacked the necessary framework to license satellites but it has acquired the necessary understanding over time.

Ghana’s National Communication Authority (NCA) in a statement released on March 16 said that it would take a minimum of five weeks for internet services to be restored to full capacity.

Space X's Starlink, a satellite network headed by American multibillionaire Elon Musk in November 2023, announced that its network service had become available in Benin with plans to extend its coverage to more African countries in the years to come.

Once licensed, Ghana will join Nigeria, Kenya, Mozambique, Rwanda, Malawi, Zambia and Benin as the African nations to have authorised the satellite network to provide its services to their country.

Edward Sakyi