Starlink plans free Wi-Fi for 5 000 South African schools

Starlink’s planned R2,5-billion investment in local infrastructure would include free Wi-Fi for around 5000 schools, according to a senior company official. 

The SpaceX-owned satellite service provider is gearing up to enter the local market thanks to government’s proposed equity equivalent programme for the ICT sector. 

Ryan Goodnight, Starlink senior director in charge of market access, reportedly outlined Starlink’s ambitious plans for South Africa at the recent annual general meeting of South Africa’s Internet Service Providers’ Association. His remarks were reported by local media outlets, including Techcentral and BizNews.  

In his presentation Goodnight said Starlink’s local investment would include new ground stations, gateways, Points of Presence (PoPs), and about R500-million on a programme to connect 5 000 schools with free internet and hardware.

The company also plans to collaborate with the National Sea Rescue Institute to use their service to bolster maritime safety.  

SpaceX founder Elon Musk has been a vocal critic of South Africa’s Black Economic Empowerment legislation, which he blames for delaying the company’s entry into the local market.  However, the company has welcomed government’s efforts to introduce an equity equivalent alternative as per similar interventions in other industrial sectors. 

The NSRI last week welcomed Starlink’s plans as a potential gamechanger for maritime safety: “South Africa’s coastline stretches nearly 3,000 kilometres, featuring large areas of remote waters,” the NSRI said in a statement.

“During rescues in such isolated locations, NSRI rescue crews, who are all unpaid volunteers and often operate beyond the reach of land-based or mobile networks, frequently face communication issues that can be limited or completely cut off.” 

“Starlink’s low-latency satellite network offers the potential to bridge this gap,” the NSRI said.