Elon Musk’s internet company, Starlink, is set to revolutionize the internet landscape in Nigeria with a strategic move to establish ground stations across the country.
The company has acquired approximately 29,000 acres of land in three states to build the facilities, which will be located in Okun Ajah, Lagos State, Sagamu, Ogun State, and Port Harcourt.
According to Nairametrics, Starlink has partnered with Equinix, a leading data center solutions provider, to build the ground stations. The construction of the facilities has already begun in Okun Ajah, Lagos State, and is expected to be completed by Q4 2024. The other locations are projected to be ready in 2025.
The ground stations will play a crucial role in transmitting data between the Starlink satellites orbiting the Earth and the internet backbone on the ground. These stations act as intermediaries, receiving data from the satellites and routing it to the appropriate internet networks, and vice versa.
By bypassing the need to connect through international data centers, Starlink aims to provide a more direct and efficient internet service, potentially setting a new standard for connectivity in Nigeria. This development will significantly improve connectivity for Nigerians, reducing latency and enhancing overall internet performance.
Starlink made its entry into Nigeria in 2022 with the acquisition of an Internet Service Provider (ISP) licence from the Nigerian Communications Commission (NCC). The company also acquired two other major licences, including a Sales and Installation licence and an International Gateway licence.
The ground stations project will make SpaceX one of the biggest players in the Nigerian telecom sector. Already, Starlink has become a major player in the internet service provisioning space, with customer numbers continuing to surge. As of Q1 2024, Starlink had become the third-largest ISP in the country, ahead of many local ISPs that have been in operation for several years.
The company’s satellite service has sparked high interest among Nigerians eager to change their service providers. Many local ISPs are currently having far less than the number of customers Starlink has garnered in one year.
With this ambitious plan, Starlink is poised to revolutionize the internet landscape in Nigeria, providing faster, more reliable internet services to individuals and businesses alike.
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