Starlink, SpaceX’s satellite internet service, has launched in Equatorial Guinea making the country the company’s 30th market in Africa.
The company announced the launch on Saturday in a post on X, formerly Twitter, saying its high-speed, low-latency internet service was now available in the Central African country.
Equatorial Guinea has also been added to Starlink’s coverage and availability map, confirming the company’s entry into the market.
This expansion follows recent launches and regulatory developments in other African countries.
In 2026, the company has expanded into Côte d’Ivoire, the Central African Republic and Senegal, while Uganda has granted regulatory approval for the service to begin operations after previously restricting its entry.
Starlink’s entry into Equatorial Guinea follows a provisional regulatory approval granted on July 29, 2026, by Vice President Teodoro Nguema Obiang Mangue.
The approval allows the government to assess Starlink’s operations and determine how the satellite internet service can be integrated into the country’s telecommunications sector. It is not yet a final licence to operate.
Telecomunicaciones de Guinea Equatorial (GITGE), the state-owned company responsible for digital infrastructure in the country, will oversee the assessment of the regulatory conditions surrounding Starlink’s operations.
The government had already been in discussions with Starlink since 2025. An earlier provisional agreement reportedly considered restricting the company’s services to the oil sector, which remains central to Equatorial Guinea’s economy.
The decision to start with a provisional approval follows a pattern emerging across several African markets as regulators test satellite internet services before granting permanent operating licences.
In Côte d’Ivoire, the country’s telecommunications regulator, ARTCI, issued Starlink a 12-month provisional licence.
Guinea-Bissau took a similar approach when it granted Starlink a provisional licence in late 2024 before later approving the service fully.
For Equatorial Guinea, Starlink’s arrival could help address some of the country’s connectivity gaps, particularly outside major population centres.
DataReportal estimates that between 60% and 63% of Equatorial Guinea’s population has access to the internet. The country also has around 885,000 active cellular mobile connections.
Starlink will compete with existing telecommunications operators, including GETESA, Telgesa, and GITGE. However, its satellite-based network gives it a different infrastructure model from conventional telecom providers.
The service uses satellites in low-Earth orbit to provide internet connectivity to customers with a Starlink terminal. This means it can serve locations where terrestrial infrastructure such as fibre-optic cables and mobile towers may be unavailable or costly to deploy.
That could be particularly useful in rural parts of Equatorial Guinea, where the relatively small population is spread across different areas and extending conventional broadband infrastructure can be challenging.
At the same time, existing operators are investing in infrastructure that could increase competition in the market.
GETESA, for example, is working with Huawei on a network optimisation programme that includes plans for 5G deployment, increased fibre capacity, and mobile money services.
Equatorial Guinea is also connected to international internet infrastructure through submarine cable systems, including the Africa Coast to Europe (ACE) and South Atlantic Inter Link (SAIL) cables.
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Domestic terrestrial fibre networks provide additional connectivity within the country.
Starlink’s entry therefore adds another option to the country’s existing connectivity infrastructure rather than replacing traditional networks.
The launch also comes as satellite internet becomes a larger part of Africa’s broadband conversation.
Starlink has expanded quickly across the continent, but its progress has depended heavily on regulatory approvals in individual countries.
For consumers and businesses in Equatorial Guinea, the service could provide an alternative where existing broadband options are limited.
For the government, the provisional approval provides time to evaluate the company’s impact on the local telecommunications market before deciding whether to move to a permanent regulatory arrangement.
With its launch in Equatorial Guinea, Starlink now has a presence in 30 of Africa’s 54 countries, further strengthening SpaceX’s position in the continent’s growing satellite internet market.
About the Author
Cecilia Attah is a tech analyst with a degree from Benue State University. She covers tech news and startups at TechRegard with a focus on how technology is transforming Africa and shaping the global landscape.
