Starlink to lose license in Ghana if… | By Patrick Acheampong | Ghana has warned internet service provider Starlink, to establish a physical office in Accra as a prerequisite for maintaining its operations in Ghana.
Ghana’s Minister for Communication, Digital Technology and Innovation, Samuel Nartey George, highlighting concerns over the company’s absence of a local physical presence, said: “I’ve asked the regulator to inform the company that they need to open an office in Accra. I don’t understand why they do not have one. You can’t operate in our country and not have a presence here.”
Mr. George argued that a local office would bolster regulatory oversight and accountability while offering enhanced protection for Ghanaian consumers. He criticized the National Communications Authority (NCA) for what he termed a “strategic oversight” in granting Starlink its operating license without enforcing a requirement for local residency or a base of operations in the country.
He further expressed the challenges posed by the current arrangement, saying, “Today, if there’s a problem involving a client of Starlink and the regulator needs to communicate with them, we must send an email to someone sitting in the US, which could take two to three weeks for a response. What kind of regulation is that?”
Emphasizing the need for timely communication, Mr. George stated that having a local office would facilitate quicker consultations and issue resolutions. “When I need to meet the CEO of any mobile network operator, I can call, and within an hour, they’re in my office or at the regulator’s office to ensure the interests of the Ghanaian people are protected,” he argued.
Starlink, a service managed locally by SpaceX Starlink GH LTD, received approval from the NCA to operate in Ghana and was officially launched in August 2024. The company utilizes a network of over 5,800 low-Earth orbit satellites to deliver high-speed internet.
Starlink to lose license in Ghana if… | By Patrick Acheampong
