SpaceX signs Starlink deal with major African telecommunication company
In a major deal that will make Starlink available across a wide swath of Africa, SpaceX has now signed an agreement with the African telecommunication company Vodacom, which operates in 47 African countries.
Vodacom will market for SpaceX its Starlink terminals, aimed specifically in rural areas where traditional land lines are not available.
The African company [Vodacom, majority owned by Britain’s Vodafone, has been seeking to close connectivity gaps across the continent through low-earth orbit satellite technology which can help provide internet even in tough terrains. Vodacom will integrate Starlink’s satellite technology for data relay into its mobile network and will be authorized to resell equipment and services from the SpaceX-owned firm to customers in Africa, the company said in a statement.
The parent company Vodafone has also signed deals with the satellite constellations being launched by AST SpaceMobile and Amazon, so it is aggressively seeking numerous avenues for getting service to customers in those rural areas.
It appears that Vodafone will have to obtain government permission from each country, but except for South Africa the company does see this as a serious problem. South Africa however is presently run by communist bigots who are demanding SpaceX impose racial hiring quotas on its operations before approving Starlink, and SpaceX quite rightly is telling it to go pound sand.
On Christmas Eve 1968 three Americans became the first humans to visit another world. What they did to celebrate was unexpected and profound, and will be remembered throughout all human history. Genesis: the Story of Apollo 8, Robert Zimmerman's classic history of humanity's first journey to another world, tells that story, and it is now available as both an ebook and an audiobook, both with a foreword by Valerie Anders and a new introduction by Robert Zimmerman.
The print edition can be purchased at Amazon or from any other book seller. If you want an autographed copy the price is $60 for the hardback and $45 for the paperback, plus $8 shipping for each. Go here for purchasing details. The ebook is available everywhere for $5.99 (before discount) at amazon, or direct from my ebook publisher, ebookit. If you buy it from ebookit you don't support the big tech companies and the author gets a bigger cut much sooner.
The audiobook is also available at all these vendors, and is also free with a 30-day trial membership to Audible.
"Not simply about one mission, [Genesis] is also the history of America's quest for the moon... Zimmerman has done a masterful job of tying disparate events together into a solid account of one of America's greatest human triumphs."--San Antonio Express-News
In a major deal that will make Starlink available across a wide swath of Africa, SpaceX has now signed an agreement with the African telecommunication company Vodacom, which operates in 47 African countries.
Vodacom will market for SpaceX its Starlink terminals, aimed specifically in rural areas where traditional land lines are not available.
The African company [Vodacom, majority owned by Britain’s Vodafone, has been seeking to close connectivity gaps across the continent through low-earth orbit satellite technology which can help provide internet even in tough terrains. Vodacom will integrate Starlink’s satellite technology for data relay into its mobile network and will be authorized to resell equipment and services from the SpaceX-owned firm to customers in Africa, the company said in a statement.
The parent company Vodafone has also signed deals with the satellite constellations being launched by AST SpaceMobile and Amazon, so it is aggressively seeking numerous avenues for getting service to customers in those rural areas.
It appears that Vodafone will have to obtain government permission from each country, but except for South Africa the company does see this as a serious problem. South Africa however is presently run by communist bigots who are demanding SpaceX impose racial hiring quotas on its operations before approving Starlink, and SpaceX quite rightly is telling it to go pound sand.
On Christmas Eve 1968 three Americans became the first humans to visit another world. What they did to celebrate was unexpected and profound, and will be remembered throughout all human history. Genesis: the Story of Apollo 8, Robert Zimmerman's classic history of humanity's first journey to another world, tells that story, and it is now available as both an ebook and an audiobook, both with a foreword by Valerie Anders and a new introduction by Robert Zimmerman.
The print edition can be purchased at Amazon or from any other book seller. If you want an autographed copy the price is $60 for the hardback and $45 for the paperback, plus $8 shipping for each. Go here for purchasing details. The ebook is available everywhere for $5.99 (before discount) at amazon, or direct from my ebook publisher, ebookit. If you buy it from ebookit you don't support the big tech companies and the author gets a bigger cut much sooner.
The audiobook is also available at all these vendors, and is also free with a 30-day trial membership to Audible.
"Not simply about one mission, [Genesis] is also the history of America's quest for the moon... Zimmerman has done a masterful job of tying disparate events together into a solid account of one of America's greatest human triumphs."--San Antonio Express-News


Vodacam or Vodafone?
Every little bit helps, I suppose. But it seems unlikely Africa will ever be a major profit center for Starlink.
The South Africa situation sounds, sadly, typical for that benighted place. It seems well on the way to becoming the next Venezuela.
F: Now fixed. Thank you.
From this article, it appears it should be “Vodacom”:
https://vodacom.com/news-article.php?articleID=16456
F: I took a closer look. It appears there are two companies involved, the parent company Vidofone, and its subsidiary in Africa Vodacom. I have thus revised the post to clarify this distinction. Refresh your browser to see the revision.
The names are similar and involve similar work, so it is not surprising I was confused by it all. Thanks!