Government-controlled media in Zimbabwe is illegally using Starlink, the satellite network run by Elon Musk’s private spaceflight company SpaceX for high-speed internet connectivity, reports claim.
An aerial photo has been circulating on social media platforms showing a Starlink antenna fixed on top of the publicly-owned Zimpapers headquarters at Herald House in central Harare.
A photo of a Starlink antenna fixed on a ZBC television production truck has also been circulating for several months.
Zimpapers is a publicly-owned publishing company which runs several newspapers, commercial printing services, a television channel (ZTN Prime), and a radio station.
The Postal and Telecommunications Regulatory Authority (POTRAZ) has banned the use of Starlink in Zimbabwe saying the service provider is yet to apply for an operating licence.
However, as reported by The NewsHawks, Zimbabweans are increasingly using Starlink largely because the internet offered by local service providers is not only very expensive but also unreliable.
There are claims that corrupt public officials are protecting existing dominant telecommunication companies from competition for payment.
Last week, a Chinese mining company operating in Mashonaland Central Province, San He, was fined US$700 for using Starlink in Zimbabwe.
According to the National Prosecuting Authority of Zimbabwe (NPA), the San He Mining company in Guruve was ordered to pay a US$700 fine by a Bindura Magistrate for contravening the Postal and Telecommunication Act.
SpaceX is currently registered to offer internet services in over 60 countries, including Nigeria, Mozambique, Zambia, Kenya, and Malawi.
