Starlink, the satellite internet service by SpaceX, is now officially available in Guinea-Bissau, marking its seventh launch in West Africa.

• Starlink, SpaceX's satellite internet service, is now available in Guinea-Bissau, marking its seventh launch in West Africa.

• The service received full regulatory approval from Guinea-Bissau’s ARN-TIC in April, following a provisional license granted in December 2024.

• Guinea-Bissau faces significant internet access challenges, with 67.5% of the population offline and relying on traditional providers Orange and Telecel.

Starlink, the satellite internet service by SpaceX, is now officially available in Guinea-Bissau, marking its seventh launch in West Africa.

In April, Guinea-Bissau’s National Regulatory Authority for Information and Communication Technologies (ARN-TIC) granted formal approval for Starlink, Elon Musk’s satellite internet service, to begin operations in the country.

Starlink had previously received a provisional license in December 2024, and with full regulatory clearance now secured, the company is finalizing administrative steps ahead of a nationwide rollout.

Internet access remains a major challenge in Guinea-Bissau, where an estimated 67.5% of the population is offline. The country has traditionally relied on just two major providers, Orange and Telecel, which recently absorbed MTN’s local operations.

Both operators use fibre infrastructure routed through Senegal and Guinea-Conakry, but connectivity is often unreliable due to frequent service disruptions.

Starlink aims to change that. The company will offer its Standard Kit for $400, with a residential service plan priced at $63 per month. Customers opting for a 250 GB residential data plan will pay a reduced monthly fee of $31. A more affordable Starlink Mini Kit will also be available nationwide for $205.

Starlink expands across Africa

Starlink’s expansion into Guinea-Bissau is part of a larger push to close Africa’s digital divide. Despite being home to 1.3 billion people, the continent has the world’s lowest internet penetration rate, with only about 40% of the population online.So far this year, Starlink has gained operational licenses in countries like Somalia and Lesotho, and it’s already live in Liberia and Niger. However, the company still faces regulatory hurdles in some markets.

Notably, Starlink has yet to launch in South Africa, the continent’s most advanced economy, despite its growing presence in neighbouring nations.

Globally, Starlink now serves over 2.6 million customers using a constellation of approximately 5,500 satellites deployed since 2019 by SpaceX. (Business insider Africa)