Starlink will begin operating in Nigeria by the end of 2022 – FG

Elon Musk’s satellite company, Space X, will launch Starlink Internet Service by the end of this year, according to the federal government. At the same time, the Nigerian government partnered with Space X to provide broadband coverage throughout the country.

This information was revealed at the US-Space Forum in Washington, which was held in conjunction with the recently finished US-Africa Leaders’ Summit.

According to the Minister’s announcement, Starlink’s launch would occur seven months after the Nigerian Communications Commission granted the business an Internet Service Provider (ISP) license (NCC).

Remember that Space X had initially planned to launch its satellite broadband service across the entirety of Nigeria in Q3 2022, but it was postponed to Q4 due to regulatory concerns. This was confirmed by Pantami, who said:

After a few administrative procedures are finished, “the nationwide deployment shall take place before the end of 2022.”
In making the announcement about the collaboration with Space X, Pantami said that the Nigerian government has accepted the business’ application to operate high-throughput satellites in low-earth orbit (HTS-LEO) for the Nigerian telecommunications industry. He stated:

“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 our National Broadband Plan. With this collaboration with SpaceX’s Starlink, Nigeria is set to be the 1st African country to introduce the service.”

In the meantime, the Minister of Nigeria signed the Artemis Accords at the US-Africa Leaders’ Forum to indicate Nigeria’s participation in the upcoming phase of space exploration, which will be overseen by the National Aeronautics and Space Administration (NASA). The 22nd and 23rd nations in the world to join the Accord were Nigeria and Rwanda, the first two in Africa.

Bill Nelson, the NASA administrator, commented on the signing of the Accords and said:

“I’m thrilled Nigeria and Rwanda are committing to the safe, sustainable use of outer space. In an era where more nations than ever have space programs, today’s signings highlight a growing commitment to ensuring space exploration is conducted responsibly.”

“As the first African nations to sign the Artemis Accords, Nigeria and Rwanda exemplify the global reach of the accords and are demonstrating their leadership in space exploration.”

READ MORE: Everything To Know About Elon Musk’s Starlink in Nigeria