Zimbabwe President Emmerson Mnangagwa has taken a bold step in technological development following the approval of Elon Musk’s telecommunications network Starlink in the country.
President Mnangagwa on Saturday disclosed the information after Zimbabwe’s telecom regulator approved the licensing of Starlink, allowing the satellite unit of SpaceX to operate in the country.
Confirming the development, President Mnangagwa on Saturday said “Prioritization of the digital economy and the emerging importance of technology in our day-to-day activities requires the government to lead from the front in providing an environment where investment in technology is promoted.
In this vein, I’m pleased to announce that I have approved the licensing of Starlink by POTRAZ to provide advanced internet and related digital processing services in Zimbabwe.”
The licensing was facilitated by the Postal and Telecommunications Regulatory Authority of Zimbabwe (POTRAZ) which will now allow full operation of Starlink to provide digital services to the country in collaboration with ICM Communications Limited.
The new development is expected to reduce the cost of digital services in the Southern African countries and also is expected to expose Zimbabwe further to the global market in the era of e-commerce and technology hubs.
The new technological advancement achieved by Zimbabwe is expected to be pivotal to the development of the economy by enhancing and facilitating the domestic economy and socio-economic sector by providing a faster connection across the country.