Zimbabwe will accept Starlink's application to operate in the country, said President Emerson Mnangagwa on Friday. Unlike in other countries in Africa where Starlink is distributed by Paratus, in Zimbabwe, it will be distributed by an entity called IMC Communications.
"The entry by Starlink in the digital telecommunications space in Zimbabwe is expected to result in the deployment of high speed, low cost, LEO internet infrastructure throughout Zimbabwe and particularly in all the rural areas," said President Mnangagwa.
Starlink has had somewhat of a rocky road to finally being licensed in Zimbabwe. In September last year, the country's telecommunications regulator Postal & Telecommunications Regulatory Authority of Zimbabwe (POTRAZ) confirmed that it had received the company's license application. Before that,(POTRAZ) had issued a warning against the unlicensed use of Starlink.
In October, member of parliament Supa Mandiwanzira suggested that the European Union’s investigation of X for misinformation should be factored in the vetting process for Starlink’s operation licence application in Zimbabwe.