Congo grants licence to Starlink, reversing earlier ban

Democratic Republic of Congo said on Friday it had become the latest African country to grant a licence to tech billionaire Elon Musk's Starlink and that the company would begin operations soon.

A unit of SpaceX, the satellite internet provider is rapidly expanding its services on the continent and is live in more than a dozen countries. It was granted licences by Somalia and Lesotho in April.

War-torn Congo has low connectivity, with just around 30% of the population using the internet as of 2023, according to the International Telecommunication Union.

The government had previously resisted allowing access to Starlink, with military officials warning it could be used by rebel groups including Rwandan-backed M23, which has seized more territory than ever before in the east of the country this year.

In March 2024, the Congolese Post and Telecommunications Regulatory Authority said use of Starlink was banned and violators would face sanctions.

The same entity announced on Friday that the company had been given a licence and "will proceed with the launch of its services in the coming days."

An official at the authority did not immediately respond to a request for comment.

Starlink is also trying to establish a presence in neighbouring Uganda. Ugandan President Yoweri Museveni said on Tuesday that he had a productive meeting with Starlink representatives.