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Starlink is now available in Congo, Musk says

REUTERS/SAM WOLFE / FEB. 26
                                The SpaceX Falcon 9 rocket carrying Starlink satellites is seen over Sebastian Inlet after launching from Cape Canaveral, Fla.

REUTERS/SAM WOLFE / FEB. 26

The SpaceX Falcon 9 rocket carrying Starlink satellites is seen over Sebastian Inlet after launching from Cape Canaveral, Fla.

SpaceX CEO Elon Musk said on Sunday in an X post that the company’s satellite system Starlink is now available in Congo.

Democratic Republic of Congo said on Friday that it had become the latest African country to grant a license to Starlink, reversing an earlier ban.

The Congolese government said in March 2024 that use of Starlink was banned, with military officials warning that it could be used by rebel groups including Rwandan-backed M23, which has seized more territory than ever before in the east of the country this year.

War-torn Congo has low connectivity, with just around 30% of the population using the internet as of 2023, according to the International Telecommunication Union.

The satellite internet provider is rapidly expanding its services in Africa and is live in more than a dozen countries.

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