An American startup, Spacecoin, has received a licence to roll out satellite internet services in Kenya, setting up competition for Starlink, which currently dominates the country’s satellite connectivity market.
The company, through its parent firm Space Telecommunications Inc. (STI), announced that it is in the process of deploying satellite internet connectivity in underserved regions of Kenya and Nigeria.
The licences come as Kenya’s communications regulator pushes to expand last-mile connectivity and diversify broadband technologies to reach remote and under-connected areas. Spacecoin’s entry is expected to challenge Elon Musk’s Starlink dominance in the satellite internet space in both countries, potentially lowering prices and widening access to the emerging technology.
