The Democratic Republic of Congo has announced that Elon Musk’s satellite internet firm, Starlink, has received official approval to operate in the country, making it the latest African nation to grant the company a license.
The country’s Post and Telecommunications Regulatory Authority confirmed on Friday that Starlink, a subsidiary of U.S.-based SpaceX, has been authorized and will begin service deployment in the coming days.
This decision marks a notable reversal, as the Congolese government had previously banned the use of Starlink in March 2024. At the time, authorities warned that using the service was illegal and subject to penalties, citing concerns from the military that the technology might be misused by rebel groups—particularly the Rwandan-backed M23 movement, which expanded its territorial control in the eastern region during the year.
Internet access in the DRC remains low, with only around 30% of the population online as of 2023, according to the International Telecommunication Union. Starlink’s entry could potentially help improve digital connectivity in the conflict-ridden nation.
Starlink has been steadily increasing its presence across Africa, securing licenses in countries like Somalia and Lesotho earlier this year and operating in more than a dozen others. In neighboring Uganda, President Yoweri Museveni noted on Tuesday that he had a constructive discussion with Starlink representatives.
