SpaceX is continuing to roll out Starlink services across Africa, with Liberia being the latest state to grant the internet provider a license.
Per the Liberia Telecommunications Authority (LTA), Starlink received a one-year provisional license to increase high-speed internet access in rural and underserved areas of the country.
Liberia is in the middle of an internet renaissance, aiming to push towards 100% internet coverage by the end of 2024. The current coverage rate is around 60% with broadband and cellular internet services, and Starlink should provide the remaining 40% of the country with access to high-speed internet when and if needed per TechPoint Africa.
Further to access to rural communities, Liberia is also testing Starlink as a backup to its current internet infrastructure. Like many West African countries, Liberia relies on the Africa Coast to Europe (ACE) fiber optic cable for service, and if the cable goes down, so does the connectivity of the entire nation.
Starlink could provide a beneficial backup option that can work with telecoms and internet providers to maintain the network even during mass outages to the ACE cable.
Per the LTA, Starlink will officially go live in the country in November. Residents can access the service through Starlink authorized resellers or directly through SpaceX itself.
