Why telcos fear trouble if Starlink gets spectrum at administrative prices

GSMA research reveals that only 1 per cent of India's population is unconnected or has no coverage. Domestic telcos say that is too small a market to make a business case

In June, Elon Musk introduced a portable dish kit, Starlink Mini, in Kenya and offered the service at  $10 a month for home or on-the-go, bringing down the price of entry-level satellite broadband in the country and giving a boost to subscriber numbers. This also brought Musk’s company Starlink into a headlong battle with Kenya’s largest telecom and internet provider, Safaricom, which has urged the regulator to mandate foreign players such as Starlink to partner with local players and not give them independent licences.

 

Kenya is not alone. Incumbent telecom and internet operators in other African countries such as Nigeria,