Starlink, SpaceX’s satellite Internet service, is making its debut in Benin, marking a significant milestone in its expansion across Africa. With the ambitious goal of providing global high-speed connectivity, Starlink offers the people of Benin an opportunity to access reliable Internet, even in the most remote regions of the country.
The service, priced at a monthly cost of 30,000 FCFA (approximately $48.66), comes with a one-time hardware fee of 400,000 FCFA (about $650), along with shipping and handling charges of 15,000 FCFA. Users will also need to pay an additional 3,125 FCFA per month to ARCEP for access to the necessary electromagnetic spectrum.
Starlink’s arrival brings new possibilities for Benin’s digital infrastructure, aiming to bridge the existing gaps in the high-speed Internet landscape. With 10.14 million subscribers to mobile Internet services and 24,641 fixed Internet subscribers, Benin takes another step towards more robust and accessible connectivity.
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This initiative aligns with SpaceX’s broader mission to expand technological opportunities in underserved regions of the world, thus contributing to reducing the global digital divide. Starlink relies on a constellation of low Earth orbit satellites, enabling reliable and fast Internet access, even in geographically isolated areas.
Starlink’s expansion in Benin represents a significant advancement in the global quest for universal Internet connectivity, opening new avenues for education, business, and economic development in the country while also contributing to the digital transformation of Africa.
Charles Rapulu Udoh
Charles Rapulu Udoh is a Lagos-based lawyer, who has several years of experience working in Africa’s burgeoning tech startup industry. He has closed multi-million dollar deals bordering on venture capital, private equity, intellectual property (trademark, patent or design, etc.), mergers and acquisitions, in countries such as in the Delaware, New York, UK, Singapore, British Virgin Islands, South Africa, Nigeria etc. He’s also a corporate governance and cross-border data privacy and tax expert.
As an award-winning writer and researcher, he is passionate about telling the African startup story, and is one of the continent’s pioneers in this regard