ZIMBABWE’S airports are set to sign up for United States billionaire Elon Musk’s rapidly expanding internet service provider, Starlink, following its third-quarter launch. This move is expected to enhance connectivity as passenger numbers rise, according to an aviation executive.
In an exclusive interview with the Zimbabwe Independent, Tawanda Gusha, CEO of the Airports Company of Zimbabwe (ACZ), said integrating Starlink would be crucial to his strategy for improving airport efficiencies in line with industry trends.
Gusha oversees several key facilities, including Robert Gabriel Mugabe International Airport, Victoria Falls International Airport, and Joshua Nkomo International Airport in Bulawayo. After months of speculation regarding the government’s stance on Starlink’s inclusion in Zimbabwe’s global strategy, the country announced last month that it had agreed to licence the firm.
President Emmerson Mnangagwa revealed that Starlink would partner with local businessman Wicknell Chivayo’s IMC Communications. Chivayo has been embroiled in controversy over alleged multi-million dollar deals, including a US$40 million elections tender scandal. The Starlink agreement paves the way for deploying high-speed, low-cost, low-Earth-orbit (LEO) internet infrastructure in a market where subscribers had deserted networks due to high costs in the first quarter.
The Independent reported last week that telecoms firms lost a combined 250 000 active subscribers during the first quarter of 2024 due to currency-induced market turmoil, which reduced disposable incomes and forced consumers to abandon their lines. A 2021 World Bank report indicated that only 34,8% of Zimbabwe’s population had access to the internet.
Gusha’s plan focuses on rolling out digital innovation and sustainability across Zimbabwe’s airports as traffic increases.
“The good news is the opening or granting of the operating licence to Starlink, which I am sure will begin in July as indicated,” Gusha told the Independent.
“We will ensure we embrace Starlink in our airports due to the speed that comes with that internet service provider. This will enable us to implement other platforms we have planned, such as self-service check-in and bag drop services.
“Our ICT team is working diligently to improve our systems, starting with the connectivity itself, ensuring unlimited Wi-Fi access at the airport,” the ACZ CEO added.
Starlink’s internet service, with speeds of 200 to 250 megabytes per second at a monthly cost of about US$100, has captured global attention.
Setup costs range between US$600 and US$700, and Starlink’s monthly service charge of about US$100 for unlimited downloads is considered the cheapest for the residential market by telecoms experts.
However, the path to licencing Starlink in Zimbabwe was fraught with controversy. Neville Mutsvangwa, son of Zanu PF spokesperson Chris Mutsvangwa, was recently arrested for allegedly operating the technology before it was licenced. He has since been cleared.
Additionally, a dispute with the former CEO of the state-controlled Zimbabwe Broadcasting Corporation, Adelaide Chikunguru, involved the alleged acquisition of a Starlink kit before it was licenced in Zimbabwe. Starlink is currently available in several African countries, including Nigeria, Mozambique, Zambia, Kenya, and Malawi.
Gusha highlighted the importance of improved internet speeds from services like Starlink in various ways.
“We want to have an integrated system where you can check in from your hotel,” he said.
“You can get to the airport, drop off your bag, and clear yourself without going through any additional formalities. We are moving towards that.
“Regarding accessibility, we want our airports to be green. We are also signatories to the Net Zero Carbon Initiative spearheaded by the Airports Council International and the International Civil Aviation Organisation,” Gusha said.
Internet speeds at Zimbabwe’s airports are currently slow. “We cannot afford to be left behind in the digital world. We are moving in that direction to embrace that technology. You can’t ignore artificial intelligence. Doing so would be at your peril,” he added.