Grace Ashiru
The Nigeria Government takes a giant leap forward in internet infrastructure by approving Elon Musk Starlink’s satellites. This was done to mitigate the problem of poor coverage and access and also to increase broadband connection nationwide.
The Nigerian Communications Commission (NCC) has issued a license to SpaceX for its satellite internet network known as Starlink. Elon Musk, CEO of SpaceX and Tesla, announced on Twitter that Nigeria and Mozambique had given their approval for the satellite internet service Starlink, which SpaceX designed.
Starlink will now conduct business using Starlink Internet Services Nigeria Ltd after successfully obtaining two licenses, one of which is an Internet Service Provider (ISP) license and the other international gateway license.
Ubale Maska, the Executive Commissioner for Technical Services at the NCC, promised Nigerians that the Agency would put in time and effort to come up with the necessary framework to strike a balance between the need for healthy competition and the introduction of new technologies to ensure the safety of all players in the sector.
He reiterated that The Commission, in its role as the regulatory body for Nigeria’s most evolving industry, is well aware of the necessity to ensure that the regulatory actions it takes are founded on the nation’s best interests.
Maska assured the team that their presentation was well-received but would consider it in the context of their regulatory objectives: “foster a successful and ensure an ecosystem in which the pricing structure of one licensee does not cripple healthy competition among other licensees over the long term.
The high speeds and low latency offered by Starlink—which can be as low as 20 minutes in most locations—make it possible for users to engage in high-data-rate activities such as video chatting, streaming, and several previously-mentioned activities impossible to perform using satellite Internet. Users also can use Starlink’s Portability feature to take Starlink wherever they go.
In May of the previous year, Levin Born, a consultant for SpaceX and Ryan Goodnight, who serves as the Market Access Director for Africa at Starlink, paid a courtesy visit to the NCC to express their desire to obtain a license to provide satellite internet service in the country.
According to the NCC, the validity period for an international gateway license is ten years, while the validity period for an ISP license is only five years.
After May of 2022, SpaceX can renew them if the licenses are still in good standing.
