With its communication satellites,Starlink introduced disruptive technologies and with satellite to mobile,the company creates further disruption in telecommunications ecosystem. · Musk’s foray into Nigeria fetched him six licences with a full bouquet capable of operating in many spheres and first received two licences, out of the six in May 2022 . · These were for International Gateway and the Internet service provider (ISP) licences, and began to trade as Starlink Internet Services Nigeria Ltd. · According to the Nigerian Communications Commission (NCC), the International Gateway licence has a 10-year tenure, while the ISP licence runs for five years. Both licenses took effect from May 2022 and may be renewed after the expiration. · Starlink came with disruptive technologies that are already making a world of difference for consumers and we looked on as if nothing was happening.The company came prepared. · With a total of six licenses from the NCC and various permits and approvals to flag off the business of internet services via satellite and equally signing Memorandum of Understanding (MoU) and distribution agreements with Nigerian companies including,Technology Distribution Africa (TD),a big distributor of major technology brands and promoted by a restless technology czar ,Leo Stan Ekeh,Starlink showed it meant business. · The company didn’t stop there ,it decided to take services to even the unserved and under served communities in Nigeria and parts of Africa . · With its technology it said it will deploy nearly $30bn over time for the Nigerian operations alone. · The government is excited that with the entry of Starlink,it may achieve 70% broadband connectivity by 2025 as enshrined in the National Broadband Plan (NBP) 2020–2025. · Starlink’s six licenses include that for ISP, Gateway Service Provider,international Data Access (IDA),Sales and Installation Major,Gateway Earth Station and Very Small Aperture Terminal (VSAT) thus making it a mega player and a big threat to other players in the industry. · >> Starlink officially announced its presence in Nigeria in January 2023. The company, which initially quoted its prices in dollars at $600 for the hardware and $43 for the subscription, changed to naira upon its official announcement. · “Starlink satellites provide Direct to Cell capabilities and ubiquitous access to texting, calling, and browsing wherever subscribers may be on land, lakes, or coastal waters,” it said. · >> “Direct to Cell works with existing long term evolution ( LTE) or fourth generation (4G ) phones wherever you can see the sky. No changes to hardware, firmware, or special apps are required, providing seamless access to text, voice, and data,” the company added. · In January 2024,Elon Musk’s SpaceX launched its first set of Starlink satellites to provide cell phone service anywhere in the world.The company announced a milestone the billionaire warned can’t compete with terrestrial networks but will help plug cellular dead zones and boost global mobile connectivity. · Six of the 21 Starlink satellites launched in January 2024 are capable of connecting directly to cell phones, SpaceX said. · >> “They are the firm’s first ever direct-to-cell satellites and are designed to function as “a cellphone tower in space,” according to Starlink’s website. · >> SpaceX said the satellites were first used to test its Direct to Cell service in the United States, where the company has partnered with T-Mobile. · Once activated, the service began to connect with ordinary, unmodified phones without the need for extra equipment so long as they are 4G LTE-compatible, a standard T-Mobile covered the “vast majority of smartphones” already on its network back in 2022. · Starlink said it plans to roll out a text messaging service using the technology later this year and broader voice, data and IoT—the network of connected devices called the internet of things—services in 2025. Musk celebrated the successful launch and said the satellites “will allow for mobile phone connectivity anywhere on Earth.” However, he noted there are limitations to the technology. “While this is a great solution for locations with no cellular connectivity, it is not meaningfully competitive with existing terrestrial cellular networks,” Musk said, pointing to the relatively limited bandwidth that is spread over a large area. Starlink also notes the satellites will let users connect “wherever you can see the sky.” · It has entered a working arrangement with Africa Mobile Networks (AMN),a mobile network operator that has deployed services in Nigeria and other countries in sub-Saharan Africa. ·