Minister for Communications and Digitalisation, Ursula Owusu-Ekuful, has revealed that the government is making significant progress in implementing programs to license additional satellite internet service providers to address disruptions to internet services in the country.
According to a report by 3news.com, Owusu-Ekuful announced that global satellite internet service provider Starlink is currently undergoing the necessary licensing procedures to operate in Ghana.
During her briefing to Parliament on March 18, 2024, regarding internet disruptions, Owusu-Ekuful highlighted that repairing the damaged undersea cables causing the outage would require a minimum of five weeks.
She stressed the importance of licensing Starlink and encouraging other operators to establish their presence in Ghana.
“Starlink is in the process of being licensed. And other operators are being encouraged to land in Ghana. We must also invest in operationalizing RASCOM (Regional African Satellite Company) instead of each country going at it alone.
“All network operators must arrange and implement alternate routes to restore phone services as they’re currently doing,” she stated.
Background
SpaceX, a prominent spacecraft manufacturer and satellite communications company spearheaded by tech magnate and forward-thinking entrepreneur Elon Musk, initially intended to extend its groundbreaking satellite Internet service, Starlink, to Ghana and Egypt by 2024.
This initiative aims to offer affordable, high-speed Internet connectivity to underserved communities globally.