Two weeks post rejecting its application, Botswana now prohibits Starlink

Botswana’s Communications Regulatory Authority (BOCRA) has declared that the importation, use, and sale of Starlink kits or services are prohibited and any violations will result in legal consequences. This comes as BOCRA continues to review Starlink’s application to operate in the country.

The application by the internet satellite company was originally denied by BOCRA on February 2, 2024, as it failed to meet all necessary requirements. No entities have been authorized by Starlink to import or resell its Internet kits in Botswana, and any that do so without permission will be committing an offence — although specific charges by the regulator are yet to be clarified.

Some Starlink kit owners have been prevented from bringing their devices into Botswana, with some currently held at the Kazungula border in Zambia. They are given the option to either return the device to Zambia, where Starlink service is officially launched, or seek permission from Botswana’s telecom regulator — so far, no requests for permission have been successful.

However, users can still access Starlink services in other African countries that do not have a license for the importation and resale of the kits, by using a “roaming” option. To do so, they must purchase the device in a country where it is licenced, like Zambia or Mozambique.

Despite guidelines by Starlink prohibiting unlicensed import and resale in countries where its service has not yet launched, resellers like Mozambique’s Starsat Africa and Nigeria’s TD Africa have exploited loopholes to offer the import and delivery of Starlink kits across Africa. How Starlink plans to enforce its regulations in these locations remains unclear.

In South Africa, where the service is forbidden, Starlink disconnected hundreds of customers last week, citing a violation of terms of use. The future of users in other African countries that have also banned Starlink’s services, such as Ghana, Zimbabwe, and Botswana, is uncertain.