Elon Musk's Starlink Applies for Internet License in Uganda

Elon Musk’s satellite internet company, Starlink, has officially applied for a license to operate in Uganda. This move could bring big changes to the country’s internet services, especially in rural areas where fast and reliable internet is still hard to find.

Starlink is a part of SpaceX, and it gives internet using low-Earth orbit satellites. Unlike regular fiber or mobile networks, Starlink's technology can offer fast speeds and low delay, even in places with poor infrastructure.

In Uganda, this could help a lot with online education, digital businesses, healthcare services, and working from home. Right now, these are limited in remote areas due to weak internet coverage.

Starlink's Application in Uganda

Before starting service, every telecom company must get approval from the Uganda Communications Commission (UCC). Starlink has submitted its application, which will now be checked for technical strength and financial readiness. If accepted, Starlink will officially join Uganda’s internet market.

But while Starlink’s tech sounds promising, some Ugandans are asking if it will be too expensive or hard to access for average users.

Lessons From Kenya: Starlink’s Rapid Rise

Uganda could learn from Kenya, where Starlink launched in July 2023 and grew extremely fast. In just over a year, Starlink jumped from 405 users to 16,786 subscribers by September 2024, making it Kenya’s 8th largest ISP in record time. This was a 1,891% increase in just 12 months.

The growth was helped by a rental option where people could rent satellite equipment for KSH 1,950 ($15) per month, making the service more affordable.

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Starlink took over almost the entire satellite internet market in Kenya by the third quarter of 2024. Out of 17,042 satellite internet users in Kenya, 16,786 were using Starlink. Its closest competitors Viasat, GlobalTT, and WafaNet—had less than 300 users combined.

Kenya’s big telecoms like Safaricom started feeling the heat. While they still lead in mobile internet, Starlink’s strong entry into fixed internet forced them to rethink their strategies. Even Safaricom’s CEO said they might need to partner with Starlink to stay competitive.

What Uganda Should Expect

If Uganda approves Starlink’s license, it could see similar changes:

• Better internet in villages and hard-to-reach places

• Faster speeds (most users in Kenya now enjoy 100 Mbps to 1 Gbps)

• A possible drop in prices, as seen in Kenya when Starlink lowered costs to attract more users

• Pressure on local ISPs to improve their services or work with Starlink

However, Starlink is not without problems. Many users in African countries like Kenya, Nigeria, Zambia, Ghana, and Zimbabwe have faced high latency (delay), especially when too many people are using the network at once.

The real issue is not just the number of satellites, but the lack of nearby ground infrastructure, known as Points of Presence (PoPs). To solve this, Starlink is now building more PoPs across Africa.

One new PoP in Kenya helped reduce delay from 120ms to just 26ms for some users. This shows that with the right setup, Starlink can offer excellent service but it requires investment in infrastructure.

Uganda’s digital economy is growing fast. If Starlink enters the market, it might help close the digital gap between cities and rural areas. But the UCC must carefully review Starlink’s application to make sure the service is both legal and fair to Ugandan consumers.

The Kenyan experience shows that Starlink can succeed if it offers good pricing, solid infrastructure, and reliable service. If Uganda follows a smart strategy, Starlink might help the country reach new levels of digital connectivity.