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Elon Musk’s network company, Starlink, changes launch date for Nigeria
Starlink, a satellite company owned by world richest man, Elon Musk, has changed the period it set to debut in the Nigerian market, amid plans to compete against MTN Nigeria, Airtel, Globacom and 9mobile.
Ripples Nigeria had reported in November 2021, that Starlink would launch into the country late this year, however, the timetable has been moved forward, Ripples Nigeria learnt.
Starlink representatives had met with the Nigerian Communications Company (NCC) in May last year, to discuss about requirements for operational license for the SpaceX subsidiary, as it seeks to onboard Nigerians on its subscriber base.
There are about 69,000 active Starlink users in the United States and other selected locations, but that number will soon rise, as Ripples Nigeria gathered that Starlink debut would now be mid 2022, encouraging Nigerians to order now to reserve your Starlink.
“Starlink expects to expand service in your area by mid 2022. Availability is subject to regulatory approval. Within each coverage area, orders are fulfilled on a first-come, first-served basis”, a statement obtained from its website on Thursday said.
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Lagos, Abuja and Benin are some of the areas mentioned for availability of Starlink in Nigeria when it launches. Musk’s company has spent between $5 billion and $10 billion in its bid to cover 5 percent of the global population.
Starlink will be competing against MTN Nigeria, Glo, Airtel and 9mobile on the back of about $20 billion or $30 billion, which the U.S company has projected to spend to make its service available in many markets, including Nigeria.
In a tweet on his Twitter page on Tuesday, Musk had disclosed that Starlink is, “Expecting over 4200 Starlink satellites in operation within 18 months, which is 2/3 of all active satellites of Earth.” Making it a force against the existing players in Nigeria.
Starlink’s subscriber base is expected to hit half a million before the year ends, up from 69,000 it had last year.
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