The Starlink internet service has just gone in live in Botswana. The country becomes the 6th country in Southern Africa to get the service.
Starlink was approved in Botswana in May this year following a meeting between the country’s president and Starlink executives in the US. The Botswana presidency announced the meeting, paving way for the licensing. Before then, the country had expressly banned the service.
Starlink Prices in Botswana
To buy a Starlink kit in Botswana is P4,820 which works about US $360. This is in line with the kit prices in African countries where Starlink is already operational.
The monthly subscription price for the basic residential one is P688, which works out to US $51. Again, in line with the new Starlink prices in the other countries.
A Starlink monthly subscription was roughly below $30 for the residential in all these countries, but prices were hiked by almost 100% this month. Botswana is starting at the new increased price. This has to be the expectation for all African countries were Starlink goes live onward.
The regional roaming price is P1,380 which is about $100 in US dollars.
The difference between Starlink Residential and Roaming
The residential package is for people that will use their Starlink at their registered address or within 3 to 5km. Ofcourse this would be in a country where Starlink is licensed to operate.
Roam is where you want to use Starlink away from your home or a Starlink licensed country. This is generally how people in countries where Starlink is not licensed yet (like Zimbabwe, South Africa, Namibia etc…) have been using the service. The roam service used to be under $40 a month, but this too was increased in August to the current $100.
Starlink on the continent
Other countries that already have Starlink are Zambia, Malawi, Mozambique, Madagascar, and Eswatini. Zimbabwe is expected to have the service soon.
The general expectation on the continent was that South Africa, being the largest economy on the continent, would be be first to go live with the service. But as we write this, South Africans who have been using the service on Roaming, are facing uncertainty with disconnections reportedly happening.
What is clear however is that Starlink itself is determined to expand on the continent, which a new country going live every so often. Ghana, in West Africa, also went live this week.
Starlink ‘s expansion has increased competitive pressure on incumbent internet providers and mobile operators on the continent, forcing them to revise their prices and to introduce unlimited packages at more affordable rates.
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