SpaceX is not slowing down. Yesterday, on June 23, they launched 27 more Starlink satellites into low Earth orbit. That came not long after a June 16 launch, which added 28 more. That’s 55 satellites in a single week, not bad for a company whose boss has been beefing with presidents across the globe lately.
Hearing that, it’s understandable that some Zimbabweans got excited. “With all those new satellites, surely Starlink will open back up in Harare now?” I get the optimism, I really do. Unfortunately, the answer remains ‘not yet.’
We get this question a lot, and I hope this piece helps explain why the answer isn’t that simple.
More satellites ≠ more access (for us)
Here’s the thing, satellites are only one part of the puzzle. You could have 20 of them right above your house but if they don’t have a clear connection to the rest of the internet, they’re about as useful to you as the birds flying over.
That connection comes from ground stations, those are the facilities that link the Starlink satellite network to the global internet. And that’s the problem for us here in Zimbabwe.
When Starlink launched officially in Zim last year, urban areas like Harare and Bulawayo filled up quickly. Demand overwhelmed the available ground infrastructure, either in Zimbabwe or in nearby countries like South Africa and Mozambique.
As a result, Starlink had to pause signups in those saturated zones. That’s why, even today, the Starlink website will still tell you service is “at capacity” in Harare.
But the kits are available…
True. Resellers have Starlink kits in stock. You can buy one today and plug it in. But unless you’re outside the congestion zones, you’ll likely get that “Capacity reached” message.
Starlink still offers service in some parts of Zimbabwe. Areas outside major cities still have capacity. But the urban demand is a different beast.
And the solution isn’t another 50 satellites, it’s more backhaul capacity, more ground stations, and ideally, a station within Zimbabwe itself. Don’t hold your breath for one in Zimbabwe, but fortunately, it doesn’t have to be built here to help us.
What needs to happen
For Harare and Bulawayo to get back online with space for many more, one or more of the following needs to happen:
- Starlink upgrades or activates more ground stations nearby, either in Zimbabwe or neighbouring countries like Zambia or South Africa.
- Existing ground stations get bandwidth upgrades to handle higher user demand from our region.
- Regulatory greenlights from POTRAZ. Starlink needs approval to build infrastructure, expand service areas, or secure additional spectrum to support local operations. I don’t think that would be a problem, Zimbabwe is ready to play ball having seen just how revolutionary widespread internet access is, or could be.
Until then, those satellites, as many as they are, will mostly just fly by, unable to help us.
So, what’s the point of the new launches?
The new satellites do help globally. They boost bandwidth across the network, improve resilience, and may allow Starlink to offload some traffic from congested regions, eventually benefitting us.
But make no mistake, for people in Harare, this doesn’t change your situation right now. Until SpaceX upgrades their ground links, you’re still waiting.
Here’s the deal
- Yes, Starlink launched 55 new satellites in a week.
- No, that doesn’t mean Harare’s capacity issues are resolved.
- Yes, the kits are available, but having a dish doesn’t guarantee you can use it in a full zone.
- What matters now is ground infrastructure and that’s the bit that’s still lagging.
So, we will keep watching the skies, it’s always cool to see another batch launched, but know that for now, your connectivity isn’t decided by what’s up there, it’s all down to what’s happening on the ground.
Backhaul capacity
If you want to sound like you know what you’re talking about when someone asks you why there’s no capacity in Harare, just say ‘ that dang backhaul capacity man’.
They say backhaul capacity is the amount of data a network can move from a region (like Harare) to the global internet. If the pipe is too small or crowded, your internet slows down or gets restricted.
So, it’s like the main internet pipe that connects your local network to the rest of the world.
I consider myself a bit of a geek whisperer. I’ve got access to some proper networking nerds, and the best analogy I’ve stolen from them (which I’ve shared before) is this:
- Your WiFi router is like a small road that connects your devices (phones, laptops).
- The local Starlink satellite and ground station is like a bigger road connecting your neighborhood to the highway.
- But the most important part is the highway, the backhaul, which carries all that data to and from other cities (or in this case, the global internet).
If that highway is too narrow (not enough backhaul capacity), it doesn’t matter how good your small road or car is, you’ll get stuck in traffic.
So, in Starlink’s case:
- The satellites get your data from your dish.
- They send it down to a ground station.
- That ground station must then forward the data to the wider internet, through fibre optic cables or high-capacity data links.
If those links (the backhaul) are overloaded or too few, everything slows down. Or Starlink limits how many people can connect in a region like what’s happening in Harare.
I know, at this rate, this Starlink obsession is going to turn us all into network infrastructure engineers, debating ground stations, backhaul, and spectrum like it’s the World Cup qualifiers Zimbabwe is sure to disappoint in.
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