ADEYEMI ADEPETUN FROM THE GUARDIAN
•Starlink pegs hardware cost $600, monthly subscription at N31, 000
Though they agreed that, Nigeria’s telecommunications sector would be very competitive this year, especially with the coming of Elon Musk’s Starlink Space X for broadband services, mobile network operators (MNOs) and Internet Service Providers (ISPs) have expressed their readiness for the imminent competition.
Last December, the Minister of Communications and Digital Economy, Prof. Isa Pantami, disclosed that the Nigerian government has approved Starlink’s application as a High Throughput Satellite (HTS) Low-Earth Orbit (LEO) Operator in the country’s telecoms space.
“As part of the partnership, Space X is to provide broadband access across the whole of Nigeria, enabling nationwide access to broadband connectivity way ahead of the December 2025 schedule, as outlined in National Broadband Plan. With this collaboration with SpaceX’s Starlink, Nigeria is set to be the 1st African country to introduce the service,” he said.
The announcement sparked fears in some quarters of the industry, with some analysts submitting that with Musk’s financial war chest and the service quality, the brand is known for globally, Starlink would push some of the current operators out of the market.
But telecoms operators, who spoke with The Guardian, said the Nigeria telephony industry is big enough to accommodate more players. They downplayed claims that Musk will push them out of the market.
Explaining an integral part of the matter, a senior telecoms firm’s executive, who preferred anonymity, said: “As you know, Mr. Musk wants to leverage satellite technology as against our GSM/microwave/fibre optic-based network. Satellite is very expensive, but for what Musk wants to use it for, he will need what they call ‘Low orbit stations,’ which will have strong connectivity for voice and data services. No doubt, this will be very competitive to the services we provide.
