ARME – Multisectoral Economic Regulatory Agency announced, last Wednesday, that it authorized Starlink to begin operations in Cape Verde.
According to a statement from the regulator, “Starlink Cabo Verde requested authorization from ARME to provide electronic communications services, accessible to citizens across the country”.
“The provision of communications services via satellite today constitutes an alternative to terrestrial networks, and makes it possible to provide high-speed, low-latency connectivity, mainly in areas with low or no terrestrial coverage”, the ARME statement also reads. .
“In this sense, ARME, in accordance with the legal regime for electronic communications, which guarantees the freedom to offer networks and services and within the scope of pursuing its regulatory objectives, based on promoting competition and offering services in the market, granted authorization to Starlink Cabo Verde to provide electronic communications services throughout the national territory”, adds the telecommunications sector regulator, which announces that it has also granted authorizations “to provide services to national operators, namely Airtel and Ed solutions”.
“These decisions reflect the regulatory authority’s commitment to ensuring a competitive environment that benefits citizens, promoting improved quality of services and reduced prices”, concludes ARME.
Expectations
The arrival of a new internet provider in Cape Verde is generating expectations in the market.
Antão Chantre, speaking to Expresso das Ilhas, says he has already pre-booked the equipment that will allow him to access this satellite internet service.
“My expectations are related to bandwidth, latency and of course, the price”, he reports.
This type of service, argues Antão Chantre, brings improvements in relation to the current offer, especially “if the focus is on digital services we will need a lot of bandwidth and at an appropriate price”.
“If I want to take online classes, this requires a lot of bandwidth and latency to avoid delays in data delivery. If we want Smart cities, bandwidth is essential. If we want real-time service, these two requirements are essential”, he highlights.
2025
There is still no date for the start of operations in Cape Verde, a consultation on the company’s website only points to 2025 as the date for the introduction of the Starlink service in Cape Verde.
Even so, in the Official Bulletin of September 11th, the constitution of “a commercial limited liability company” with the name Starlink Cabo Verde is announced, which may indicate that the company’s entry into the national market is imminent.
Starlink was created by the company SpaceX, founded by Elon Musk, with the aim of providing high-speed internet to remote areas with low coverage. The idea of an internet satellite system emerged as part of SpaceX’s larger plan to finance the colonization of Mars. The Starlink project was publicly announced in 2015 and, in May 2019, SpaceX launched the first 60 satellites in the constellation.
The system works through a network of satellites in low Earth orbit, which allows for reduced latency and increased connection speeds compared to traditional satellite systems. The service began to be offered to the public in beta in 2020.
Until 2024, Starlink continued to expand significantly, consolidating itself as one of the largest satellite internet providers in the world. SpaceX’s low-orbit satellite constellation has surpassed 5,000 satellites launched, with plans to expand further. The long-term goal is to reach around 12,000 satellites in the constellation and possibly up to 42,000 satellites in future expansions.
In 2024, Starlink surpassed the mark of 4 million active users in various parts of the world, including remote regions and areas with little traditional internet infrastructure. The service is available in more than 60 countries, with a strong presence in rural areas of the United States, Europe, Australia, and parts of Africa and Latin America.
Technological expansion
In addition to user expansion, Starlink continued to improve its connection speeds and reduce latency, offering download speeds ranging from 100 Mbps to 300 Mbps, with an average latency of 20 to 40 ms, depending on location.
In 2024, Starlink also began offering new services, such as specific plans for vehicles, boats and planes, expanding its reach to mobile customers.
With these advances, Starlink has established itself as a viable option for millions of people who previously had limited or no access to high-speed internet.
Text originally published in the printed edition of Expresso das Ilhas nº 1195 of October 23, 2024.
