Elon Musk, a billionaire, has promised that his internet service, Starlink, would pull people out of poverty as the network provider prepares to launch operations in Nigeria, the second-poorest country in the world. Musk had announced on Friday that Starlink had been granted approval by the government of Nigeria, paving the path for the internet provider to launch its service, which is being used by about 69,000 customers.
Although the current number of Starlink subscribers is expected to grow to a half million by the end of 2022, the company is already doing business on all seven continents, including in nations such as the United States of America, Mozambique, the Philippines, and a number of other western nations.
Musk announced on Sunday, through his Twitter account, that his firm will assist relieve poverty with its internet service in areas like Nigeria. This statement comes on the heels of prior claims from Ripples Nigeria announcing that Starlink would be accessible in the middle of 2022. There are about 70 million individuals in Nigeria who are living below the poverty line. As a result, the nation was dubbed the “poverty capital of the world” in 2021, a year before India surpassed Nigeria to become the world’s poorest nation.
He went on to explain that providing access to the internet is analogous to instructing someone in fishing techniques. According to the information that was obtained, “One Starlink can offer Internet connectivity for a whole school of hundreds of kids.” “There is a significant opportunity to help individuals climb out of poverty. Giving individuals access to the Internet is equivalent to teaching them how to fish. Earlier, Tesla’s Chief Executive Officer and main shareholder posted on the social networking site.
At least a year has passed since Starlink began working toward the goal of obtaining regulatory certification in Nigeria.
In a press statement issued by the NCC the previous year, it was said that officials from SpaceX had met with the regulator on May 6, 2021, to explore the provision of Starlink services. According to the Nigerian telecommunications authority, SpaceX dispatched a team to the nation after conducting negotiations remotely over a number of months prior to their visit.
INCM, Mozambique’s telecommunications regulator, said in a press release that it planned to issue a license for Starlink services on February 23. This announcement was made on February 22.
INCM stated in the news release that “one of Starlink’s big bets is to provide ultra-fast broadband to the African Continent by the end of 2022.” This will enable expansion to a greater number of people and places, with an emphasis on rural areas and other areas that have not been served up until this point. The current coverage map for Starlink reveals that there are plans to begin offering services to Africa in 2023. This is also the case for the majority of other locations where the network is presently lacking.
Source: RipplesNigeria