Starlink finally available in Zimbabwe

ZIMSPHERE

AFTER months of speculation and controversy, Starlink's satellite internet service is finally in Zimbabwe. 

Starlink is now available in Zimbabwe, in a move that is set to change the internet service landscape in the country [Image: Starlink website]

The company officially turned on service in Zimbabwe just before midnight on Friday, and the Starlink Map now includes Zimbabwe as being ‘Available Now’. Zimbabwe’s launch follows Botswana's launch earlier in the week, making it eight Southern African countries that have access to Starlink.

As for pricing, the website shows that the standard kit will cost US$350 in Zimbabwe, while the Starlink Mini kit will cost US$200. The monthly subscription for the service is $50 for the basic residential unlimited data package. For the Starlink mini package, the monthly subscription is US $30 a month. 

Starlink kits, as well as subscriptions, can be paid directly on the website via Visa or Mastercard; or through authorized resellers. In Zimbabwe's case, the only authorized reseller that has been announced so far is Frampol. 

The arrival of Starlink to the Zimbabwean ISP space is expected to benefit consumers with faster internet speeds at lower cost. Users in Zimbabwe can expect download speeds of up to 200Mbps. Local ISP's recently started upgrading their services and offering promotions in anticipation of the competition from Starlink. 

Econet, the largest mobile internet provider in the country, recently introduced an LTE unlimited data service that retails at a minimum of US$45 a month, with speeds of up to 50Mbps.