South Africa's satellite connectivity industry is about to go on a significant transformation following reports that SpaceX had opened pre-orders for its Starlink satellite service.
According to an article from Space in Africa, which they published on February 12, SpaceX had reached out to the Independent Communications Authority of South Africa (ICASA) to discuss opening up a shop in the continent.
Starlink is charging a $99 deposit to South Africans who wish to be the first to acquire the necessary equipment for the service.
Satellite Connectivity in South Africa
The satellite industry in South Africa had been striving since 2018, thanks to Twoobii-a locally supported satellite solutions provider owned by South Africa's internet giant Q-KON.
A report from the South African Institute of Electrical Engineers (SAiEE) on March 16 explains that Twoobii played a vital role in connecting 'off-grid locations to internet networks across the continent through compact base units be installed virtually everywhere.
However, the service is offered to resellers, businesses, and ICT integrators and can provide consistent download speeds of up to 20Mbps-at least four times less than what Starlink could offer.
An article from MyBroadband published on February 25 reports that the arrival of SpaceX's Starlink in South Africa could make a huge impact on the citizen's perspective about satellite internet.
Q-KON CEO Dawie De Wet shares this sentiment, as he said that Starlink's arrival would considerably drive the public's awareness and positive view towards satellite internet technology.
He added that the market would soon realize that the satellite industry is about to change and that innovations are opening up better alternatives.
How Can Starlink Drive Change?
The existing satellite broadband services available to South Africans rely on geostationary satellites, which stay at the same spot by orbiting at the same pace as the earth's rotation.
However, geostationary satellites had to stay at an altitude of 36,000 km (22,000 miles).
While it can provide coverage to a wide area, the internet service would be prone to latency due to its significant distance above the earth.
This is where Starlink's low earth orbit (LEO) satellites could change the game, as its shorter distance to the earth reduces latency significantly.
De Wet added that Starlink's case is entirely different from previous global LEO projects, noting that SpaceX's vision achievements will surely change past and future views on the technology.
"Although there is still widespread concern about the feasibility of the global constellations, linked to the development of an affordable user terminal, these aspects are drafted when considering the reference and wide scale of the Starlink and Space X environment," he added.
In fact, his company, Q-KON, had been ready to embrace the changes Starlink would bring to South Africa, noting that Q-KON is well-positioned to support new and emerging LEO services.
Related Article: Starlink Coverage Map 2021: Elon Musk's Satellite Internet Connection Already Has 10,000 Beta Testers
This article is owned by Tech Times
Written by Lee Mercado
