Starlink launches in Equatorial Guinea, its 30th African market

SpaceX’s satellite internet service, Starlink, has launched its low-Earth-orbit (LEO) high-speed offerings in Equatorial Guinea. The development means Starlink has now launched in 30 of 54 African countries.

In a post on X (formerly Twitter) on Saturday, the satellite internet operator announced its entry into the Central African country, with its coverage and availability map indicating its presence in Equatorial Guinea.

“Starlink’s high-speed, low-latency internet is now available in Equatorial Guinea!” the X post reads.

Equatorial Guinea in Starlink’s coverage availability map

The launch comes as the company continues to expand its footprint in Africa after its recent launch in Côte d’Ivoire. Aside from the West African country, Starlink has launched in the Central African Republic (CAR) and Senegal and has secured regulatory approval to launch in Uganda after previous restrictions, all in 2026. 

A launch for testing

The launch follows provisional regulatory approval granted by the Vice President of the Republic of Equatorial Guinea, Teodoro Nguema Obiang Mangue, on 29 July 2026.

Equatoguinean authorities noted that the approval is not final. The move is to examine introducing Starlink into the country and review its benefits. Telecomunicaciones de Guinea Equatorial (GITGE), the state‑owned company in charge of digital infrastructure, is in control of assessing the regulatory conditions for Starlink’s integration. 

Preliminary discussions with the company date back to 2025, including a provisional agreement initially limiting access to the oil sector.

The move is similar to what authorities in Côte d’Ivoire did with the telecommunications regulator ARTCI, granting a 12‑month provisional licence last month. 

The policy of testing the satellite operators’ activities is becoming a practice. In Guinea‑Bissau, the National Regulatory Authority for Information and Communication Technologies (ARN‑TIC) first issued a provisional licence to Starlink at the end of 2024 before granting full approval. 

What Starlink’s entry means for Equatorial Guinea

According to DataReportal, internet penetration in Equatorial Guinea stands at roughly 60% to 63% of the population, with around 885,000 active cellular mobile connections.

Equatorial Guinea (IM: World Bank)

The satellite internet operator will be competing with state-owned telecoms operators such as GETESA (Guinea Ecuatorial de Telecomunicaciones Sociedad Anónima), Telgesa, and GITGE (Gestor de Infraestructuras de Telecomunicaciones de Guinea Ecuatorial).

Starlink, through its high-speed internet, will seek to leverage its service to provide a 5G network, which is not yet available in the country. Its LEO services will also allow the operator to penetrate rural areas where terrestrial towers cannot reach. 

However, GETESA is partnering with Huawei on a network optimisation plan targeting 5G deployment, expanded fibre capacity, and mobile money platforms. The country connects internationally through submarine cable systems like ACE and SAIL, while leveraging domestic terrestrial fibre networks. 

Also Read: Starlink closes in on Spectranet with 98,642 subscribers in Nigeria.