The CEO of SpaceX, Elon Musk, announced Sunday on the social network X that the Satellite Satellite System of the Society is now accessible in the Democratic Republic of Congo.
Friday, the Democratic Republic of Congo said it had granted a license to Starlink, thus joining the growing list of African countries to authorize the service, after having imposed a ban earlier this year.
In March 2024, the Congolese government had indeed prohibited the use of Starlink, the military authorities fearing that the network would be operated by rebel groups, in particular the M23 supported by Rwanda, which conquered more territories in the east of the country this year.
The DRC, prey to armed conflicts, suffers from low connectivity. According to the International Telecommunications Union, only about 30 % of the population used the Internet in 2023.
The satellite internet service provider continues its rapid expansion on the African continent and now offers its services in more than a dozen countries.
