The hype around SpaceX’s Starlink is signalling the beginning of a period of significant growth for several low-earth orbit satellite Internet providers coming to South Africa.
However, De Wet told MyBroadband his company did not take issue with Starlink becoming accessible locally, even without the required licencing. That was allocated to the company by the International Telecommunications Union , in compliance with international coordination requirements. But he warned that Starlink could face some financial regulatory hurdles in the near future because the roaming service is paid for in foreign currency.
However, while the public’s attention has been keenly focused on Starlink, it will not be the only service of its kind within the next two to three years. “We offer business satellite broadband for corporates, the financial sector, production and mining, as well as point-of-sale transactions over satellite for the retail, tourism, and hospitality sectors in Southern Africa,” said De Wet.