Starlink has started peering at NAPAfrica

[Daniel Puchert]

Big development for Starlink in South Africa

SpaceX's Starlink broadband service has started peering at South Africa's largest Internet exchange — NAPAfrica.

MyBroadband first looked into this development after a Reddit user posted that Starlink had added a 200Gbps port at the Johannesburg Internet Exchange (JINX).

 

[PCWARITM]

Well no, that's for Lesotho and or Eswatini surely. Nothing happening in SA just yet.

 

[drs]

From the article:

SpaceX’s Starlink broadband service has started peering at South Africa’s largest Internet exchange — NAPAfrica.

SpaceX's PeeringDB record suggests that they're at both JINX and NAPAfrica Joburg.

 

[Brian_G]

Well no, that's for Lesotho and or Eswatini surely. Nothing happening in SA just yet.

Could be pre-preparing of some sort, something going on behind the scenes?

 

[Hanno Labuschagne]

From the article:


SpaceX's PeeringDB record suggests that they're at both JINX and NAPAfrica Joburg.

Thank you, I have corrected that. Appreciate it.

 

[Jan van Riebeeckstad]

How does a country that doesn't exist per Trump get starlink before us?

 

[PCWARITM]

Could be pre-preparing of some sort, something going on behind the scenes?

I would imagine a breakthrough on negotiations would have been announced before any tech spend.

 

[PCWARITM]

How does a country that doesn't exist per Trump get starlink before us?

Even Nambia will get it first.

 

[Brian_G]

I would imagine a breakthrough on negotiations would have been announced before any tech spend.

Maybe

Elon is a confident chap.

 

[PCWARITM]

Maybe

Elon is a confident chap.

Like AI, he's prone to hallucinations.
Never trust a man who goes on about colonizing mars but will never venture into space.

 

[Swa]

Even Nambia will get it first.

Even Mars will have it first.

 

[Brian_G]

Like AI, he's prone to hallucinations.
Never trust a man who goes on about colonizing mars but will never venture into space.

Wouldn't mind having his hallucinations though, comes with a big fat bank account

 

[Apogee]

Even Nambia will get it first.

They have their own version of this same obstacle:

"Cran chief executive Emilia Nghikembua on Sunday said they have received Starlink’s application, which is still pending.

She explained that as per the Communications Act, the requirements on ownership restrictions are that no licensee may be controlled by any person that is not a Namibian citizen or a Namibian company, and no more than 49% of the stock in any licensee may be owned by persons that are not Namibian citizens or Namibian companies that are controlled by Namibian citizens."

https://www.namibian.com.na/zambezi-lodge-owners-push-for-starlink-to-operate-in-namibia/

 

[Brian_G]

They have their own version of this same obstacle:

"Cran chief executive Emilia Nghikembua on Sunday said they have received Starlink’s application, which is still pending.

She explained that as per the Communications Act, the requirements on ownership restrictions are that no licensee may be controlled by any person that is not a Namibian citizen or a Namibian company, and no more than 49% of the stock in any licensee may be owned by persons that are not Namibian citizens or Namibian companies that are controlled by Namibian citizens."

https://www.namibian.com.na/zambezi-lodge-owners-push-for-starlink-to-operate-in-namibia/

At least it's about Namibian citizenship & ownership, not a Namibian long-ago-imbalances excuse.

 

[system32]

SpaceX is unable to do so because it does not meet the country’s ownership rules for telecom licensees.
The Electronic Communications Act stipulates that licensees must be 30% owned by historically disadvantaged groups.
A new provision introduced by the Independent Communication Authority of South Africa could change this requirement to 30% black-owned.

Not good enuf that Musk is South African, must be black to operate.

 

[PCWARITM]

Not good enuf that Musk is South African, must be black to operate.

He was born here, he’s not South African. He’s Canadian American.

 

[system32]

He was born here, he’s not South African. He’s Canadian American.

You just proved my point - "He was born here" makes him 100% South African.

 

[Jet-Fighter7700]

peering isnt the same as operating legally in the country, is it?
Starlink is still banned even if something is happening behind the scene the broader public does not know about.

 

[belator]

@Hanno Labuschagne why didn't you say anything a month ago when they first peered at the original - and oldest - peering point in South Africa?

 

[neoprema]

My question is a bit OT but related to Starlink...

Does anyone know if customs are specifically blocking Starlink devices arriving via DHL etc?

IF i got a family member overseas to unpack it from the box, and send it just loose with bubble-wrap in another box as a gift what are the chances it will be detected as a banned device and confiscated?