May 13, 2025

19 minutes

Available for over a year

The number of African countries now allowing Elon Musk’s company Starlink to provide internet services has been growing rapidly - six have granted permission in 2025 alone. And there are reports that Uganda might be next.

Starlink can be cheaper than some traditional internet providers and has been seen as a way to provide internet access to communities that are hard to reach.

But does it come at a cost to governments who might have less control over internet access? And what does it mean for local economies if a big, international company has access to the market?

Alan Kasujja speaks to Temidayo Onionsun; a Nigerian space scientist, and Juliet Nanfuka, a digital rights activist and member of the African Digital Rights Network.