Gambiaj.com – (BANJUL, The Gambia) – Guinea-Bissau has officially granted a license to Starlink, the satellite-based internet provider owned by Elon Musk, marking a significant step toward improving connectivity in the country. The announcement was made on Thursday by Bamba Kote, chairman of the Board of Directors of the Telecommunications Regulatory Entity (ARN), during the opening of the 22nd General Assembly of West African Telecommunications Regulators in Bissau.

According to Kote, Starlink has received the “green light” to commence operations, joining its existing presence in Cape Verde, Ghana, and Nigeria. While the operator had already secured a provisional license in December, it is now only awaiting the completion of final bureaucratic steps to launch full-scale services in Guinea-Bissau.

A source within ARN confirmed that Starlink’s license allows it to begin operations immediately. “They can already start operating, as granted by the president of ARN,” Kote told Lusa.

The arrival of Starlink is expected to address long-standing internet access issues in Guinea-Bissau, where connectivity has been largely dependent on two providers: Orange, a Senegalese subsidiary of the French telecom giant, and Telecel, which recently took over the South African operator MTN.

Both companies provide internet services via fiber optic cables connected through Senegal and Guinea-Conakry, as well as through hertzian beams. However, these services frequently suffer from disruptions, leaving many areas of the country without reliable access to the internet.

President Umaro Sissoco Embaló has been vocal in his criticism of the country’s inadequate internet coverage and has urged authorities to implement corrective measures. Starlink’s satellite-based technology is expected to play a crucial role in addressing these shortcomings, offering wider and more stable coverage, particularly in remote and underserved regions.

With its entry into Guinea-Bissau, Starlink is set to enhance digital connectivity and provide an alternative to existing infrastructure-dependent providers, potentially transforming the country’s internet landscape.