A Chinese mining company operating in Mashonaland Central Province has been fined US$700 for using Starlink, an internet service that is not licenced to operate 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. The NPA said:
SAN HE Mining company in Guruve was sentenced to pay a fine of USD700 by a Bindura Magistrate for contravening the Postal and Telecommunication Act, ‘willfully possessing and or operating a radio station without a license or authorization from the Postal and Telecommunications Regulatory Authority of Zimbabwe (POTRAZ)’.
On the 5th of December 2023, the Police received a report from POTRAZ to the effect that the company was using Star-Link equipment.
The Police proceeded to the mine where they recovered the Starlink router and antenna.
Last month, the Postal and Telecommunications Regulatory Authority of Zimbabwe (POTRAZ) warned individuals and companies who are caught distributing and advertising Starlink Internet Services’ gadgets that they will be arrested.
Zimbabweans are increasingly eager to ditch local internet service providers for Starlink due to their poor service and high cost of data packages.
Developed by Elon Musk’s space exploration company SpaceX, Starlink is a satellite internet network that provides high-speed broadband internet services.
