SpaceX’s satellite internet service, Starlink, is now operational in Somalia, company owner Elon Musk announced on Sunday via social media platform X. The news was confirmed by the Somali government, which revealed it granted an official operating licence the same day.
Mustafa Yasiin, director of communication at the Ministry of Telecommunications, said the deal had been in the works for over two years. “We have been in talks with this company for a period of two and a half years. We gave them the licence today,” he stated in a video released by the state-run SONNA news agency.
The Somali government expressed optimism that Starlink’s entry will improve internet quality across the country and expand access to underserved rural communities.
