Angola is now negotiating with Starlink, the satellite-based internet provider of Elon Musk’s SpaceX, to bring the service to the southern African country. The move aligns with Angola’s goal to enhance digital connectivity in Africa and serve communities that are not currently covered by traditional internet service that, in many cases, have yet to be established and serviced. If an agreement is finalized, this union would potentially provide a great step toward a substantial increase in digitally connected people, which could help sustain economic development across Angola and provide an economic advantage in Africa.
Addressing Connectivity in Angola
Like many other countries in Africa, Angola faces significant challenges around internet usage penetration and provision of digital infrastructure. Although urban centers like Luanda, the capital city, have modest internet access relatively speaking, no urban area has the established provisioning of telecommunication vehicle or infrastructure that is cost prohibitive in the urban areas or that is fundamentally lacking in infrastructure or foundation in the non-urban areas.
While not currently an issue in Luanda, the government of Angola is actively recruit potential and global technology partners with the goal of transforming its telecommunications space and driving economic growth. The agreement with Starlink will further drive the transition toward improved digital infrastructure and broadband access, or potentially serve as a better alternative to existing service providers that currently offer connectivity and broadband access services that are too slow, too costly, or simply unreliable.
Starlink Providers of Access to Broadband in African Regions
As a business unit of SpaceX, Starlink aims to provide world-wide high-speed internet service through low Earth orbit (LEO) satellites. Starlink manages a constellation of satellites and has launched and targeted thousands of LEO satellites overall targeting expansion on a substantial basis in the future. To-date, Starlink has successfully penetrated services in various countries specifically for the purpose of competing and providing access to populations and regions with limited or little existing access or provision of either internet or telecommunications and internet access opportunities.
For African nations, where lack of access to the internet remains a significant impediment, Starlink offers much-needed perspective for leapfrogging traditional development of infrastructure. Starlink offers the capacity to connect their communities to high-speed internet in regions where it is difficult to install or expensive to support physical infrastructure of local technologies, such as rural communities, remote islands, or landlocked areas.
If Angola completes the agreement with Starlink, it would join countries such as Nigeria and Rwanda that are beginning to implement satellite-based solutions in the connectivity environment.
Economic and Societal Impacts
The implications of Starlink’s satellite system in Angola could be game changing. The economy is dominated by oil exports, and has begun to diversify into technology, agriculture, and manufacturing. Access to improved internet is the key enabling technology across these industries providing valuable opportunities for businesses, entrepreneurs, and education facilities.
In particular a rural community can see significant improvements with better connectivity. Access to high-speed internet can help farmers connect with their markets, download information about agricultural applications and use e-commerce platforms to sell and promote their products. It also could provide a platform for distance learning and e-health services -potentially generating new educational and health solutions to areas of Angola that are less developed.
As well, from the government’s perspective this could be positioned to further the agenda on the broader digital transformation strategy, such as, increasing access to government services and information through online platforms and expanding financial inclusion through mobile banking and minimal transaction payment systems-new approaches.
Challenges and Issues
While the possible benefits of Starlink’s entry into Angola are substantial, there are a number of issues to discuss that may act as challenges. One area of chief concern is cost. Starlink’s service may be affordable in developed markets, but it may not be affordable to many low-income households in Angola. The current cost of Starlink’s hardware and monthly subscription fees may potentially realize barriers to widespread or impactful use of its service, especially in rural areas concentrating on affordability.
Further, regulatory structures have the potential to obstruct the speed at which satellite services can be introduced in Angola. Several African countries have telecommunications regulations that are relatively new, and new technologies like Starlink often require existing telecommunications regulations to change in order to accommodate services based on the new satellite technology. Negotiations between Angola’s government and Starlink will likely focus on licensing, spectrum allocation, compliance, and local laws in regulatory discussions.
Moreover, success of Starlink’s service in Angola will depend on continuous and reliable power in rural communities. Many areas in Angola continue to struggle with electricity shortages, and if users do not have consistent power to their devices, satellite high-speed internet has the potential to not be effective for establishing greater connectivity.
Angola’s Digital Future
The continued discussions between Angola and Starlink show Angola’s commitment to enhancing its digital infrastructure and adopting new technologies, and if a deal is completed, discussions may depict Angola as one of the first nations to implement satellite service in Sub-Saharan Africa. Satellite service may be a precedence for other nations to how do develop those, and improved access to sufficient horizontal and vertical levels of connectivity will have economic development implications, as well as social inclusion and connectedness, by connecting millions of peoples in previously disparate settings into the global digital economy.
For Angola, entering into the Starlink discussion is in some capacity a condition of possibility for a digital ficture that may realize potential as the infrastructures exist to foster innovation, system-public services, and perhaps ultimately a more inclusive and diversified economy.
Final Thoughts
At present, Angola is in discussions with Starlink regarding the possibility of a partnership that could ultimately bring benefits in terms of internet access, economic development, and public goods, such as education and health services. Nevertheless, for satellite-based internet services to succeed in Angola, it will need to confront tangible vanquishes based on cost, regulation, and infrastructure. If so, this partnership by Angolan authorities may be a major milestone on the pathway to a better connected and digitized future for Angola