Central to the operation of this small media production outfit in Lagos is the internet And that service comes from Starlink via its router sitting at top the rack in their control room. The outfit says since it deployed it here about 2 years ago, it’s been effective.
“So far Starlink has been very very effective for us. The cost uh efficient for us, It’s very cheap compared to other broadbands and the speed is also very very reliable as well”
One of the challenge faced with Starlink according to this user, is the fact that whenever it rains the network seems to be down but aside that everything about that network has been great. While the subscription rate is relatively cheap Starlink kits and initial setup don’t really come cheap. You would need about back 600,000 naira which is roughly $400. Despite the relative high cost the adoption rate has not slowed down at all. Starlink dishes are popping up on many rooftops in the country. I wrote a post on How Starlink is Empowering Nigeria with Unmatched Internet Speeds
As at September 2024 the Nigerian Communications Commission (NCC) put its subscriber base at over 65,000 making it the second largest ISP in the country by customer base. One thing with other many local ISPs that operate within that own broadband space is that they’ve not been able to provide reliable unlimited internet connectivity to users. So people generally have issues with speed of the other network broadband. Aside from that the reliability and availability of your connection on 24/7 whenever you need it.
Probably you want to go into a Zoom meeting, are you able to trust that your internet will be available at that time? are you sure that there won’t be any downtime during your Zoom meeting? so with the way starlink technologies and how robust it is, it’s able to fill out that needs of fast internet that is very reliable. At the moment the availability map of Starlink’s website shows its service is sold out in some locations in the country. The ISP has stopped orders for cities like Lagos Abuja and Kano. So residents in these cities cannot activate new kits as there is no more space at least for now.
In as much as Starlink is able to provide keep up with the current experience, what we’re going to have is definitely a rapid growth in terms of digital inclusivity in Nigeria. I’ve seen cases where people actually rent out the Starling kit either for different events, that means they’re also using it as a business. Starlink is definitely giving local ISPs a serious run for their money And at its current adoption rate it just might be only a matter of time before it takes over the number one sport as the largest ISP in the country.
This video below was DJimas CGTN Lagos. https://www.youtube.com/@cgtnafrica
