Cameroon - High-Speed Internet: Starlink to provide internet Deployment in 2024

Following Nigeria and Kenya, Elon Musk's Starlink announces the launch of its satellite connectivity service in Cameroon in 2024. This deployment will enable users to access the internet in areas where internet connectivity is unavailable or unstable.

The Democratic Republic of Congo, Tanzania, and Zimbabwe are set to be equipped with the Starlink network in 2023. Cameroon, Botswana, and Namibia will join the network in 2024. Only a few countries on the African continent currently have no specified arrival date.

For the deployment of Starlink's services, the American billionaire is partnering with the African e-commerce platform Jumia. Jumia will be responsible for distributing the necessary terminals for using Starlink to users across the continent.{loadmoduleid 377}

According to the Minister of Posts and Telecommunications, Minette Libom Li Likeng, access to high-speed mobile internet has significantly improved in Cameroon in recent years. "Over the past four years, we have gone from a mobile broadband penetration rate of 18% to 39%, thanks to a series of measures we have taken to strengthen competition and regulatory accountability."

However, "some geographical areas remain uncovered, and access to the internet has not yet achieved universal coverage. Retail prices for mobile telephony and the internet seem relatively high, especially for low-income individuals. Like many other countries worldwide, Cameroon faces the challenge of the very rapid changes in the digital environment, which have made some of our regulatory and legal instruments obsolete."

Thus, the arrival of Starlink in Cameroon should significantly contribute to increasing internet penetration. It will provide a higher-quality network and compete with the internet service providers already established in the country. This partnership aligns with Starlink's goal of expanding across the African continent to meet the growing connectivity needs.{loadmoduleid 378}