Starlink experienced service outage that affected 41,393 users early today

Starlink’s services were down for about an hour earlier today (between 2 AM and 4 AM). According to the outage tracking website Downdetector.com, the downtime affected 41,393 users. Most users reported a “total blackout”, according to the detector.

“The network issue has been fully resolved,” Starlink, a satellite unit of SpaceX said in a post on X. An alert from the Insider Paper indicated that the service has reported over 240 outages during the last 24 hours.

Starlink, launched in 2019, owns close to 60 per cent of the nearly 7,500 satellites orbiting Earth, making it dominant in the satellite internet business segment. Other competitors include OneWeb, Telesat, Viasat and others. 

Earlier this month, SpaceX was in the news for crossing 3 million users in 99 nations and its Asia expansion plans. Recall that the founder, Elon Musk visited Indonesia on May 19 to launch the Starlink satellite internet service in the island nation, days after his surprise visit to China.

Similar: Zimbabwe has approved Starlink’s internet service license- President Mnangagwa

He is also rumoured to be planning a visit to Sri Lanka. The tech billionaire was spotted discussing opportunities for Starlink services with Sri Lanka’s President Ranil Wickremesinghe at the 10th World Water Forum in Bali.

Starlink’s growing coverage

Last weekend, the company’s list of countries of coverage got a boost as it got an operational license approval from Zimbabwe’s telecom regulator to operate in the southern African country. The country president, Emmerson Mnangagwa made this known on Saturday.

The president also said Starlink will provide services through its sole and exclusive local partner, IMC Communications. The decision “is expected to result in the deployment of high speed, low cost, LEO (low-Earth-orbit) internet infrastructure throughout Zimbabwe and particularly in all the rural areas,” Mnangagwa said in a statement.

The Starlink approval comes amid a government crackdown on unregistered users smuggling Starlink kits from neighbouring countries like Zambia.

Recall that we reported that the government of Zimbabwe ordered the company to shut down its services in the country. The order was issued by the Postal and Telecommunications Regulatory Authority of Zimbabwe (POTRAZ) in an email.

Starlink has experienced difficulty as it looks to deepen its foothold across Africa.

In South Africa where the Independent Communications Authority of South Africa(ICASA), the country’s telecoms regulator, has ordered IT Lec, the sole importer of Starlink kits, to cease the importation. Although SpaceX, makers of Starlink, are yet to secure an operational license, IT LEC found a workaround for its customers. But now, the ISP has been warned to abandon this workaround in a strongly worded notice by the ICASA.

In Botswana, the importation, use and sale of its kits and services was officially prohibited by the Botswana Communications Regulatory Authority (BOCRA). On February 2, 2024, BOCRA rejected Starlink’s application to operate in Botswana, citing the company’s failure to meet all requirements. In an email statement, BOCRA emphasized that Starlink has not authorized any entity to import or resell its Internet kits in Botswana. Offenders will be committing an offence, although the specific charges remain undisclosed.

The prohibition also came with a warning of legal repercussions for those who defied the ban.

Read more: Botswana bans Starlink, imposes consequences for violators

The company also faced regulatory squabbles in Ghana although Ghanaian authorities have assured the public that it would grant the internet company a licence once it fulfills all regulatory requirements.

However, its present failings in Africa are balanced by its astounding success in Southeast Asia, with countries like Indonesia, Malaysia and the Philippines. Starlink boasts a constellation of nearly 6,000 satellites, with over 5,200 operational and beaming internet access to 2.7 million subscribers.