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Starlink in Nigeria: Price, Speed, All About The Very High Speed Internet Access By Satellite

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Starlink, a very high-speed internet accessed through satellite is available in beta in the United States and has just obtained the necessary authorizations to launch in Nigeria.

Starlink is one of those projects that could well revolutionize Internet access in the world . The aim is to deliver a relatively affordable Internet access offer to areas that are inaccessible, poorly served, or simply too peripheral to have Internet access worthy of the name.

When Will Starlink Be Available In Nigeria?

Elon Musk announced in a tweet on Friday that Starlink, the satellite internet service launched by SpaceX, his space exploration company, has been approved in Nigeria and Mozambique.

Mr Musk’s claim was also confirmed in a statement by the Nigerian Communications Commission which stated that the Starlink had received two licenses to commence operations in the country, Nairametics reports.

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Information as regards when the internet service would become functional on a commercial base is not yet available.

Is Starlink Fast (Bandwidth, Latency)?

The Starlink constellation is under construction. But, as the number of satellites increases, so do the constellation’s capabilities.

The first independent speed tests carried out in North America show that the bandwidth averages around 150 Mbps downlink. Others report similar, albeit lower, numbers. On average, we can expect a throughput between 50 and 150 Mbps. That said, Elon Musk promises that in the coming months the average speed will be doubled to 300 Mbps with a latency of around 20 ms .

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In March 2022, the latest speed readings confirmed Starlink’s ambitions: the service exceeded 120 Mbits/s in France, which is better than fixed Internet! In France, the average is around 90 Mbit/s. Note that Starlink currently exceeds 100 Mbit/s in 15 countries, proof of the effectiveness of the service in different places around the globe.

Originally, Elon Musk presented Starlink as a service that would eventually allow download speeds of up to 1 Gbps. However, it seems that Starlink has since revised its objectives upwards, and plans to eventually deliver an internet connection at 10 Gbps, or as much as the fastest consumer internet access by fiber.

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How Does Starlink Work?

Starlink is the first constellation of satellites to have the ambition to deliver very high-speed internet access at very low latency over the entire surface of the globe. To do this, SpaceX must put approximately 12,000 satellites in low orbit into orbit by 2025. In total, counting the 1,015 satellites already deployed by Starlink, there are only 2,000 satellites in activity today around the Earth.

Simultaneous deployment of around sixty Starlink satellites / Credits: Starlink.com

Simultaneous deployment of around sixty Starlink satellites / Credits: Starlink.com

What Equipment Do I Need To Connect?

The Starlink antenna and its internet router / Credits: Reddit

The Starlink antenna and its internet router / Credits: Reddit

Starlink customers receive an extremely simple installation kit . It consists of a motorized dish with phased array antennas, a long Ethernet cable with PoE, a power brick that also serves as a PoE injector and a sort of switch. As well as a triangular-shaped router.

All of these elements arrive already plugged in for simplicity. The instructions are quite simple: place the dish outside, on the ground or on your roof – so that it has a clear view of the sky. Open your smartphone, connect to the hardware and follow the instructions. The connection is established in seconds.

Compared to existing similar internet plans in Nigeria which cost an average of $50, Starlink is a more expensive option costing $599 (~₦330,000) for a full kit, including a terminal, mounting tripod, and Wi-Fi router, then a $110 (~₦60,500) for preorder and monthly subscription. Its premium service costs about $2,500 (~₦1.375 million) for the full kit and $500 (~₦275,000) monthly.

This price range is deemed expensive for the average Nigerian, except it introduces a different offering for the Nigerian Market.

How much is Starlink kit and subscription?

Starlink premium service costs about $2,500  an equivalent of ₦1.380 million for the full kit and $500 an equivalent of ₦280,000 monthly.

When compared to existing similar internet plans in Nigeria which cost an average of $50, Starlink is a more expensive option costing $599 (~₦330,000) for a full kit, including a terminal, mounting tripod, and Wi-Fi router, then a $110 (~₦60,500) for preorder and monthly subscription.

There’s one argument that Starlink is expensive.  expensive for the average Nigerian, except it introduces a different offering for the Nigerian Market.