The world’s richest man, Elon Musk has revealed that the Nigerian Communications Commission (NCC) has issued its firm, Starlink Internet Limited, with two licences to operate in Nigeria.
Starlink Internet Limited, which is operated by SpaceX, will be trading as Starlink Internet Services Nigeria Limited.
The company received the two licences, which include the International Gateway licence and Internet Service Provider (ISP) licence, after months of negotiations with the NCC.
However, the Director of Public Affairs at NCC, Dr Ikechukwu Adinde, could not be reached by telephone to confirm it, and he did not respond to WhatsApp chat, which Kilamity sent to him for confirmation.
Starlink Internet Limited, which is operated by SpaceX, will be trading as Starlink Internet Services Nigeria Limited.
The company received the two licences, which include the International Gateway licence and Internet Service Provider (ISP) licence, after months of negotiations with the NCC.
However, the Director of Public Affairs at NCC, Dr Ikechukwu Adinde, could not be reached by telephone to confirm it, and he did not respond to WhatsApp chat, which Kilamity sent to him for confirmation.
However, a reliable source at NCC, who confirmed it, told Kilamity that Starlink applied for three licences last year, while the NCC considered two of the licences as of last week after Starlink met certain requirements.
The source, however, said NCC would issue an official statement when it concludes the approval process for the two licences.
But Musk, via his Twitter handle, said NCC had confirmed and approved the two licences, before issuing Starlink the operational licences.
The licensing followed a visit to Nigeria by the company’s team in May last year.
Starlink offers satellite internet access coverage to 32 countries where its use has been licensed. It also provides high-speed, low-latency broadband internet across the globe.
Within each coverage area, orders are fulfilled on a first-come, first-served basis.
Kilamity gathered that the International Gateway licence has a 10-year tenure while the ISP licence is to last for five years. Both licences take effect from May 2022 and may be renewed after the expiration.
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