Starlink Internet Now Available in the Democratic Republic of Congo
Starlink, a company that provides internet through satellites, has officially started working in the Democratic Republic of Congo (DRC). This means that Starlink is now available in 21 countries in Africa. The government of Congo gave Starlink permission to operate in the country, and the announcement was made by the government on Friday.
On Sunday, Elon Musk, the head of SpaceX (the company that owns Starlink), posted on social media platform X (formerly Twitter) that Starlink is now available in Congo. His post simply said, “Starlink available in Congo.”
This is a big step forward for Congo, which has had poor internet service for a long time. According to the International Telecommunication Union, only about 30% of people in Congo had access to the internet in 2023. Many areas still do not have any internet service at all, especially in rural or remote parts of the country.
Starlink wants to help solve this problem by offering fast and dependable internet. Unlike older satellite internet, Starlink uses many small satellites that orbit close to Earth. This helps it deliver faster internet with less delay. Starlink’s goal is to reach places that regular internet companies do not cover.
This could help people in Congo get better internet, especially where current services are weak or missing. With better internet, people can connect more easily to the rest of the world, go online for school, work, business, and even get access to better health information.
Starlink is Growing Fast Across Africa
Starlink is growing quickly in Africa. It has recently launched in Somalia and Lesotho in April and in Niger in February. It is also planning to start in India after meeting with Prime Minister Narendra Modi. Uganda is also expected to get Starlink soon after its President, Yoweri Museveni, had a good meeting with Starlink officials.
This fast growth shows Starlink’s plan to bring internet to more and more places that are usually left out. They want people in hard-to-reach areas to get the same internet quality as people in big cities.
Starlink Faced Challenges in Congo
Even though Starlink is now approved in Congo, it wasn’t easy for the company to get there. Earlier in March 2024, the country’s telecom regulator, ARPTC, banned Starlink. They said anyone using it would be punished. The ban came after the military warned that rebel groups might use Starlink to help them. One group, called M23, has been fighting in eastern Congo and taking control of more land. The army was worried they might use Starlink for their activities.
But something changed. On Friday, the same authority that banned Starlink announced that the company was now approved and could begin working soon. They didn’t say why they changed their mind, especially after such strong opposition before.
One reason may be Congo’s very low internet coverage. Many people still do not have internet, and the need is growing.
Millions in Congo Still Don’t Have Internet
A report from January 2025 shows that Congo had about 34 million internet users out of a total population of 105.8 million people in 2023. This means only about 30.6% of people in the country were using the internet at the start of the year.
Another report showed that the number of internet users grew by 1.1 million between January 2024 and January 2025. That’s a 3.3% increase. But even with that growth, around 77.1 million people in Congo still didn’t have internet in early 2025. That means about 69.4% of people were still offline.
With this many people still without internet, Starlink’s service could be a key part of the solution. The company offers wide coverage and high-speed internet that could finally connect people in areas where no service exists today.
