Tanzania is ready to welcome Elon Musk’s Starlink into the country

“There is no reason whatsoever to deny his application, I have personally reached out to him…I reminded him that we are still waiting for his company to finalise the remaining legal requirements before Starlink is allowed to operate,” he explained.” Mr. Nape Nnauye, minister for information, communication, and information technology said.

“But even then all investments should be in line with our laws and regulations and when the company finalises legal requirements as stipulated by the laws, the ministry will permit them to operate, even by tomorrow,” the minister added.

The minister’s initial statement stems from the belief that one of President Samia Suluhu Hassan’s priorities is to encourage domestic and foreign investment in the country, and that no one should act as a bottleneck by preventing prospective investors and investments.

Recall that, Elon Musk relayed via a tweet that he would love to begin operations in Tanzania, his tweet read, “we would love to (operate in Tanzania). We are just waiting for the government’s approval.”

To which the Minister of Information, Communications, and Information Technology, responded via Twitter that the Tanzanian government has already responded to the Starlink Business with what they need to do to progress with their plans. He highlighted that Starlink must finish all essential documentation before proceeding with additional steps.

The services of Starlink were scheduled to be accessible in Tanzania in the first quarter of 2023, and many think that their existence will boost the country’s position in the digital economy and enable widespread access to the internet and other technology.

Starlink uses thousands of satellites in space to interface with selected ground transceivers to give internet connection. The service would have a huge impact, particularly in distant places where infrastructure is inadequate to support fiber connections.

While some are enthused about the potential effect of Starlink, others are concerned that big internet and phone companies may block its approval. Maria Sarungi, a communications specialist and media figure, stated her dissatisfaction with government censorship and expensive internet charges in Tanzania and advocated for unrestricted internet access.