The quality of the internet in Zimbabwe has just completely gone to the dogs. It’s a literal state of emergency and any option that shows the slightest promise is being treated like a messiah. Starlink is one of these services and on their coverage map, they slated Zimbabwe as one of the countries receiving the service in 2023. They recently went live in Nigeria and in Rwanda, it’s even undergoing trial in schools to see its viability. So what about Zimbabwe? How long must we endure?
On the Starlink website, they mention that the planned availability in Zimbabwe is 2023 pending regulatory approval. So naturally, we reached out to POTRAZ who informed us that Starlink has not enquired with them about setting up service in Zimbabwe.
We did also have some follow-up questions that are yet to be answered which include the following:
- If Starkink or any service like it is to wish to come into Zimbabwe, what does POTRAZ expect it to do/have in order for it to be allowed to operate?
- Will the international pricing Starlink is offering globally be the same in Zimbabwe?
- What is POTRAZ’s take on Starlink and other satellite internet providers like it regarding the future of internet reliability, accessibility, and affordability in Zimbabwe?
We are still waiting for an official response from our regulator but in the meantime, we can partially answer these questions.
Question 1. What Starlink needs to do to operate in Zimbabwe
Any new telecommunications player in Zimbabwe has to go through POTRAZ so they are registered and licensed. But the most important reason is that POTRAZ regulates the airwaves in Zimbabwe and will need to ensure that whatever frequency spectrum Starlink uses for communication is actually available.
Starlink uses the 10.7GHz to 12.7GHz band for its communication which according to the Zimbabwe National Frequency Allocation Plan falls neatly under the spectrum allocated for fixed satellite services. So the technical side of regulation seems to check out if Starlink is to be classified under the category of fixed satellite services.
The only thing left will be an operating license which for VSAT services will look like this:
The VSAT landing rights (payable in US dollars only)[Out of date]
Extract from SI 11A of 2001
8. An annual fee payable in advance, in full US$36 000,00
9. (a) Transportable satellite [transceiver and or satellite phones] (prorated, for each calendar month or part thereof) US$7 500,00
(b) VSAT with local private hub US$10 000
[Updated: SI 12 of 2021]
3. The VSAT/Mobile Satellite Service Terminal (MSS) landing rights fees (Payable in US dollars)
Extract from SI 12 of 2021
Satellite Service Fees payable
(a) VSAT with foreign hub (Virtual VSAT Network) C and Ku Bands— An annual fee payable in advance, per each VSAT terminal in full US$30,00
(b) VSAT with foreign hub (Virtual VSAT Network) Ka Band— An annual fee payable in advance, per each VSAT terminal in full US$20,00
(c) MSS Terminal— An annual fee payable in advance, per each transportable satellite or portable satellite phones (pro-rated for each calendar month or part thereof US$200,00
(d) BGAN Terminal— An annual fee payable in advance, per each transportable terminal (pro-rated for each calendar month or part thereof) US$200,00
Question 2: Will international pricing apply in Zimbabwe?
Starlink in Nigeria has assumed its fees in its local currency. But interestingly enough there are some currency conversion issues in Nigeria that seem very similar to those in Zimbabwe. There is an internationally recognized exchange rate of US$1 to 460 Naira. However, just like Zimbabwe, they have local currency cards that do not do online payments and USD prepaid cards that do make online payments. And when you use these, the rate almost doubles to 740 Naira for every US dollar.
So if Starlink maintains offering their service in US$ then the listed price for their service will be roughly what we can expect to fork out. But if they start listing the price in local currency then it can swing either way. And usually, the way where we end up paying more is where things swing.
The official pricing for Nigeria is US$599 for the kit and a US$43 monthly subscription fee. This is not universal though. A Zimbabwean source informed us that the total cost to get the kit to their doorstep set them back around US$700 and in America, monthly subs are US$110. So depending on your region, the pricing might be slightly different.
Question 3: Will this change the broadband situation in Zimbabwe?
The internet situation in Zimbabwe is dreadful at best. The number of fault-based and performance-based internet outages Zimbabwe has experienced in the past 3 years alone has been frustrating.
We talk about new players changing the space and making our internet more reliable, faster, and cheaper. But we also need to look at the infrastructure. If a new MNO or ISP enters the space, they are using the same infrastructure as already existing players. So fundamentally they will experience the same challenges that existing players are facing and their service will just be as bad.
Reliability
Starlink is very different from our current internet providers at an infrastructure level. They have orbiting satellites that are of a different technology to those used by VSAT providers. VSAT makes use of GEO satellites (Geostationary satellites) meaning these satellites are matching the rotation of the earth such that if we could see it, it would be as if it’s standing still. And they also are 35,785 km above the earth’s surface. And the rest of the internet providers rely on a network comprising of terrestrial fiber and point-to-point microwave radio links.
Starlink is using a network of LEO (Low Earth Orbiting) satellites and these are constantly moving 550km above the earth’s surface. So similar but not the same in terms of technology. However, Starlink is, for the most part not relying on infrastructure that can be affected by power outages, fuel shortages, vandalism, or a farmer plowing a bit too deep. You know. Everyday Zimbabwean stuff.
On the infrastructure end, Starlink should be more reliable than our current fixed internet providers simply looking at its infrastructure being immune to a majority of the issues associated with terrestrial fiber and microwave radio links. Which leaves VSAT. VSAT has 2 fundamental issues associated with its altitude. The first is latency or the time it takes for information to travel from source to destination. Starlink actually states that its latency is 70 times less than that of Geostationary satellites (VSAT). Also, VSAT is more susceptible to weather than Starlink. So it’s reliable.
Accessibility
Accessibility will also be a lot better. A number of new suburbs are not yet serviced with fixed internet. And so you have to go on a waitlist and pray that the service providers deem you worthy. An example is Haydon park, a suburb right next to the New Parliament building which at the moment only has a choice of Telco fiber and Liquid Home WibroniX. Starlink will work anywhere. All you need is a clear view of the sky and money for the kit and subscriptions. So again, accessibility, check.
Affordability
The price of entry is definitely steep. Officially is US$599 for just the kit. Then subs can be anything from US$43 in Nigeria to US$110 in the USA for the residential package.
Starlink is unlimited but with a fair usage policy. You have an allocation of 1TB a month and if you exceed this, you’ll start experiencing slow speeds. If you use Liquid Home you are familiar with this. What makes it all worth it is that the max speeds available are 250Mbps download and 50Mbps upload. In Nigeria, one Starlink user got 238Mbps download and 45Mbps upload.
So here is how it stacks up with the competition. Liquid Home’s 100Mbps unlimited fiber package is going for US$385 (Using today’s official exchange rate). Telone’s 50Mbps unlimited package is going for US$306. Utande charges US$230 for 30Mbps uncapped. If you ignore the eye-watering price of the kit, Starlink is MUCH cheaper than the best of the best we can get locally whilst also promising speeds beyond those we are accustomed to in these parts.
Once you get past the cost of acquiring it, it’s actually solid value. Also, remember that VSAT setup costs in Zimbabwe range from US$100 to US$1,440. Affordability? Best bang for the buck for anyone who was already paying US$100 in internet per month or who relies on unlimited internet, Starlink will be a no-brainer.
So can I use Starlink in Zimbabwe?
Officially Starlink is not yet available in Zimbabwe but is said to be coming in 2023. So officially if you are able to buy the kit, it will not work in Zimbabwe. That said we have unconfirmed reports of some Starlink users in Zimbabwe who have successfully been able to use the service.
Starlink seems to have the world divided into continental regions. So if the service is available in any country on a continent then it should be available in all other countries within that continent. At the moment Nigeria and Rwanda are 2 African countries that have Starlink available to them. And according to the Starlink website, coverage and regulatory approval are what are stopping it from officially making a presence in Zimbabwe. So technically it should work here.
Starlink also announced global roaming. To be able to use this feature you actually need to buy new equipment from Starlink specifically supporting global roaming. And that feature will also cost you US$200 per month to use. Such a service could provide Zimbabweans with unofficial access to Starlink in Zimbabwe but that is not guaranteed.
A more sensible hack is buying a Starlink kit destined for Nigeria or Rwanda, initially setting it up with a Nigerian or Rwandan address physically, then paying an additional US$25 per month for mobility allowing you to use the service anywhere in Africa. (Mobility only works on the same continent of the address used to order it and set it up) Yes, there will be a slight logistical hurdle of physically setting it up in a country where the service is available first before bringing it here but if you can then that is another possible way of using Starlink in Zimbabwe. But I will stress it’s not a guaranteed method.
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