David Moinina Sengeh, the minister of basic and senior secondary education and chief innovation officer of Sierra Leone, announced yesterday that his country has authorised Starlink to operate. He stated, “This is a significant step forward in achieving the goal of universal connectivity across the country.” At the beginning of 2023, Sierra Leone had an internet penetration rate of only 21.2%, leaving approximately 6.85 million people without internet access. Additionally, the country’s median fixed internet connection speed stands at 11.60 megabytes per second (Mbps), considerably lower than the global average of 58 Mbps. The country now joins Nigeria, Mozambique, Rwanda, and Mauritius as African nations connected to Starlink. According to the map displayed on Starlink’s website, an additional 19 African countries are scheduled for launch in 2023 and 2024.
Sierra Leone is Officially the Fifth African Country to Grant Starlink an Operating Licence
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