Musk's response came in reply to a user who observed that Starlink had suspended new sign-ups in several urban areas across Africa, as the network's capacity had reached its limits.
In addressing the issue, Musk mentioned, “Starlink is working to enhance Internet capacity in densely populated urban regions in Africa as quickly as possible. It is important to note that there remains substantial capacity available outside of city centers.”
The rising demand for Starlink's services underscores the pressing need for reliable internet access in African cities, where current infrastructure limitations have hindered the provision of fast and stable connectivity.
Starlink introduced its satellite internet service in Nigeria in January 2023, making it the first African nation to benefit from this offering. This development followed the approval granted by the Nigerian Communications Commission in May 2022, with preorders commencing shortly thereafter.
Since its inception, Starlink has experienced exponential growth, emerging as Nigeria's third-largest internet service provider by the end of 2023, with an impressive subscriber base exceeding 23,000.
Furthermore, in June, Kenya's telecommunications regulatory body officially recognized Starlink as the 10th largest internet service provider in the country, capturing a notable 0.5 percent market share, which translates to approximately 8,000 subscribers.