The company has been blocked from approval in seven countries, including Côte d’Ivoire, Burkina Faso, DR Congo, South Africa, and Senegal. But some bans have been reversed — particularly after the company got in touch with top government officials. At the end of April the satellite broadband service owned by South African-born tech billionaire Elon Musk, disconnected its service in Cameroon following a government order. The regulator said Starlink was operating without a license and posed a threat to national security and fair competition. Regulators across the continent are worried about Starlink because they want control over the content being shared, industry analysts say. This has been a recurring theme of concern for African governments since the rise of the internet and, in particular, social media. Starlink’s satellites have no physical infrastructure or official presence in the countries, meaning it isn’t possible to turn off the internet. Similarly, Starlink can’t be held responsible by governments for content transmitted over the signals.
Starlink has Faced Numerous Regulatory Obstacles in Africa
