“There is no reason to reject his application, I myself have contacted him… I reminded him that we are still waiting for his company to complete the remaining legal requirements before Starlink is allowed to operate,” he said. Mr. Nape Nnauye, minister of information, communication, and information technology said.
“But even if all investments must be in line with our laws and regulations and when the company fulfills the legal requirements as defined by the law, the ministry will allow it to be used, even tomorrow,” tadded the minister.
The initial statement of the minister is due to the belief that one of the priorities of President Samia Suluhu Hassan is to encourage domestic and foreign investment in the country, and that no one should be a bottleneck by preventing potential investors and investments.
Recall that last week, Elon Musk tweeted that he was happy to start operations in Tanzania, his tweet read, “we would love to (operate in Tanzania). We are just waiting for approval from the government.
The Minister of Information, Communications and Information Technology, responded via Twitter that the Tanzanian government has responded to Starlink Business on what needs to be done to move forward with the plan. He stressed that Starlink needs to complete all important documentation before proceeding with additional steps.
Starlink services are scheduled to be accessible in Tanzania in the first quarter of 2023, and many believe that its existence will improve the country’s position in the digital economy and allow widespread access to the internet and other technologies.
Starlink uses thousands of satellites in space to interface with selected ground transceivers to provide internet connectivity. These services will have a big impact, especially in remote places where the infrastructure is insufficient to support fiber connections.
While some are excited about Starlink’s potential effects, others worry that big internet and phone companies could block the agreement. Maria Sarungi, a communications specialist and media personality, expressed her dissatisfaction with government censorship and high internet fees in Tanzania and supports unrestricted internet access.