By SpaceX Starlink got into the African internet provision servicing market via Nigeria on January 30, 2023. This made the country boast of being the first African country to receive satellite internet service. Until now, the service has become the country’s third largest internet service provider (ISP), with over 23,897 active subscribers.
While mobile Internet uses radio waves from base stations it endures congestion lags fixed broadband speeds. However, the satellite internet services, ISPs (fixed broadband) through the use of fibre cables offer faster speeds by bringing connectivity closer.
Challenges SpaceX satellite Internet faces in Nigeria.
One major challenge the Starlink Satellite has to deal with right from the onset is the economic hardship burden of the country. Thus, Starlink has to adjust to Nigeria’s economic situation and make the needed interventions. One of them is reducing the hardware price which was N800,000 to N440,000 now and the least of the monthly subscription fee is currently at N38,000.
Although Starlink is the third giant in the internet service in Nigeria, and it presence has undeniably disrupted the market by offering faster and more reliable internet service, it till has to target a session of the working Nigerians who can afford it.
How does the Starlink work?
In January 2024, a SpaceX engineer reported that over 42 petabytes of data were transmitted daily. But how does this come about?
Starlink leverages a network of satellites launched into orbit by SpaceX rockets. More than 6,000 Starlink satellites orbit the earth today. These satellites communicate with user terminals (hardware) on earth. Thus, can possibly beam high-speed internet to nearly every corner of the planet.
Starlink satellites orbit the earth at much lower altitudes than traditional satellite internet services, enabling them to cover small areas and requiring a user terminal for continuous connection with passing satellites. This low-earth orbit approach gives Starlink an edge over ISPs requiring expensive, large-scale infrastructure rollouts for expansion – businessday.ng writes.
“Starlink is ideally suited for areas where connectivity has been unreliable or completely unavailable,” its main page reads. “People across the globe are using Starlink to gain access to education, health services, and even communications support during natural disasters.”
Starlink perhaps doesn’t look like becoming the main internet service for Nigerians and most of the other African countries the company is operating; due to its production details and cost, it is our hope that one day, both the rich and the poor will have the chance to use quality and fastest internet services.
