from MARCUS MUSHUNGA in Harare, Zimbabwe
Zimbabwe Bureau
HARARE, (CAJ News) – THE Zimbabwean government has taken advantage of Starlink’s presence in the country to create additional jobs for local entrepreneurs, tech startups and innovators.
The move is aimed at unlocking the whole chain of economic opportunities cascading from the top echelons of tech providers down to the ordinary person in the remotest villages of the southern African country.
Starlink, which entered the Zimbabwean market last Friday has since been issued with two operating licences that will enable local internet agencies, local network operators and Internet Service Providers (ISPs) to redistribute ensuring local jobs are preserved.
“In providing internet services in Zimbabwe, Starlink is engaging (local) agencies, including established Network Operators and Internet Service Providers for the distribution of User Terminals (kits) and as appropriate, the provision of managed end user-services,” said Postal and Telecommunications Regulatory Authority of Zimbabwe (POTRAZ) Director General, Dr Gift Kallisto Machengete.
The two licences issued to Starlink Zimbabwe (Pvt) Ltd include the Telecommunication Licence for Network Service and the Internet Service Provider (national licence).
“The sale or redistribution of Starlink User Terminals without appropriate licensing and clearance is, therefore, an offence punishable by law,” Machengete said.
He said the condition for Starlink licences would entail that such third part agencies, dealers and ISPs should be subject to clearance by POTRAZ to ensure the country’s vision 2030 to make every Zimbabwean a middle class person has been achieved.
Machengete stated POTRAZ is convinced that the addition of the low Earth orbit (LEO) technology layer onto the Zimbabwean ecosystem of network technologies would enhance meaningful broadband connectivity nationwide.
“Connecting the unconnected and bridging the digital divide remain key priorities for Zimbabwe, as we journey towards vision 2030,” he said.
Minister of Information Communication Technology, Postal and Courier Services, Tatenda Annastacia Mavetera, said issuing of the licences to Starlink was taken into consideration as part of Zimbabwean president Emmerson Mnangagwa’s vision 2030 that aims to make Zimbabweans middle class income earners as opposed to poor.
“This technology will add impetus to your Vision of a digitally connected Zimbabwe especially reaching to the underserved and marginalised people through the use of LEO satellites,” Mavetera said.
Starlink is the world’s first and largest satellite constellation using a low Earth orbit to deliver broadband internet capable of supporting streaming, online gaming and video calls.
– CAJ News