NAIROBI, Kenya – Somalia has just joined the global SpaceX club.
Elon Musk’s satellite internet service, Starlink, is officially live in the Horn of Africa country. It’s a move set to redefine digital access for millions.
On Sunday, Musk confirmed the launch via a post on X (formerly Twitter). Somalia’s Ministry of Telecommunications sealed the deal with a long-awaited licence.
The announcement wraps up more than two years of negotiations between the Somali government and Musk’s satellite company.
“We Gave Them the Licence Today”—A Digital Leap for Somali
In a Facebook video shared by SONNA, Somalia’s state news agency, Mustafa Yasiin, Director of Communications in the telecommunications ministry, announced that Starlink had finally been granted operational rights.
“We have been in talks with this company (Starlink) for a period of two and a half years.
We gave them the licence today,” Yasiin said. His optimism was as clear as a desert sky.
With Starlink now authorized, Yasiin hopes it will do more than just add another provider to the mix. The goal? Boost internet quality and expand access to Somalia’s remote, underserved regions.
SOMALIA GRANTS STARLINK LICENSE TO OPERATE NATIONWIDESomalia’s National Communications Authority has officially licensed Starlink to begin offering satellite internet services across the country.At a ceremony in Mogadishu, Starlink representatives confirmed that the service
Why Starlink in Somalia Is a Big Deal
Let’s face it: in a country where geography often beats infrastructure, laying fiber-optic cables across vast, rugged terrain isn’t just expensive—it’s nearly impossible in some areas.
That’s where Starlink’s satellite-powered model shines.
By bouncing internet signals off thousands of low-Earth orbit satellites, Starlink can beam high-speed internet to areas where traditional telecoms struggle to reach.
That could be a game-changer for Somalia’s rural communities, where mobile internet remains spotty and sluggish at best.
For Somali entrepreneurs, students, and health workers in remote districts, this is more than a tech headline—it’s a potential digital revolution.
Starlink’s expansion into Somalia is part of Elon Musk’s broader ambition to blanket the globe with satellite internet, especially in places where traditional providers fall short.
The move follows successful launches across Nigeria and Kenya, where users in remote areas are already surfing at speeds they never dreamed possible.
While critics continue to raise questions about regulatory frameworks and costs, Starlink’s entry into Somalia is a milestone—both for SpaceX and for a nation eager to level the digital playing field.
Sure, this is another notch on Elon Musk’s ambitious global expansion belt.
But for Somalia, it’s a signal—literally and figuratively—that the digital divide is narrowing.
With Starlink’s arrival, the hope is that better internet will unlock economic opportunities, improve education, and strengthen communication across the country.
