Starlink Wi-Fi router and ground station antennas approved in South Africa
The Independent Communications Authority of South Africa (Icasa) has approved at least one part of the customer equipment needed to use SpaceX’s Starlink in South Africa.
Although Starlink’s estimated launch date in South African remains to be confirmed, MyBroadband is aware of at least several hundred local users of Starlink’s roaming service in the country.
To use the service, the users needed an importer to bring in the Starlink kit — which includes two key components to connect to SpaceX’s satellite telecommunications network.
These are the Starlink dish antenna — often called “Dishy” within the customer community — and the Starlink Wi-Fi router to which it is connected.
For radio equipment like the dish and router to be used legally in South Africa, it must first be type approved by Icasa.
This refers to a process by which equipment, a device, or a system is authorised by Icasa to be used in South Africa or imported into the country.
Type approval involves verifying the product or system’s compliance with the applicable gazetted technical standards and other regulatory requirements.
Typically, the type approval and licencing processes consist of three phases:
- Testing of the performance in accordance with the applicable technical standards
- Testing of electromagnetic compatibility (EMC) – both emission and immunity measurements
- Testing of safety
Many interested in importing the kit have been concerned that it might not clear customs due to a lack of type approval.
Icasa makes it clear on its website that non-type approved or non-exempt equipment will not be allowed for use in the country, and such equipment will be sealed or seized.
Starlink dish (left) and router (right)
A MyBroadband forum member recently referred us to Icasa’s updated list for all type-approved radio communication equipment.
Notably, Icasa approved the Starlink Wi-Fi router with model name “UTR-211” sometime in 2022.
The document also lists three separate type approvals from 2021 for a “Starlink Earth Station Gateway” with the specific model name “Gateway V3”.
This likely refers to the Starlink Gateway antennas installed at the company’s ground stations.
These gateways transmit data between Starlink’s satellites and a backhaul Internet connection.
However, the Starlink dish, with model name “UTA-212”, was not listed on the type-approved list at the time of publication.
It is possible that the dish could have received type approval since the list’s publication on 28 February 2023.
Possible negative impact on South African telecoms unlikely
There is no guarantee that a non-type-approved device would harm radio communication in South Africa.
Starlink dishes have been deployed in numerous countries without disrupting existing telecommunications services.
Q-KON Africa, the company that offers the Twoobii satellite Internet service in South Africa, recently told MyBroadband that Starlink should not interfere with other satellite or wireless signals in the country.
“All coordination aspects and any possible frequency interference are mitigated on an international level between the respective operators and is very seldom dealt with on a national or regional forum,” explained Q-KON Africa Group CEO Dawie De Wet.
De Wet said the radio frequency spectrum used by Starlink was allocated to it by the International Telecommunications Union (ITU), in compliance with international coordination requirements.
It should be emphasised that although some of Starlink’s equipment has been type-approved, the company itself has not yet been licenced to operate in South Africa as an Internet service provider (ISP).
To do so, it would require electronic communications network service (ECNS) and electronic communications service (ECS) licences.
According to Icasa, the company has not yet applied for these licences, despite meeting with the regulator on two occasions.
Industry insiders believe the main reason for this is that 30% of SpaceX’s ownership would have to be made up of previously-disadvantaged persons, which can include black people, youth, women, and people with disabilities, as required by Icasa’s industry regulations.
Because SpaceX is a private company, it is not obligated to publish the full details of its shareholding, but it is highly doubtful that it meets this threshold or indeed possesses the necessary shareholder information to confirm this.
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