• Starlink launches satellite internet service in Sao Tome and Principe
  
• Monthly fees $61-$81 plus upfront hardware costs
  
• High prices may limit adoption despite low broadband penetration
  

SpaceX’s Starlink announced on Thursday that its satellite internet service is now available in Sao Tome and Principe. To access the service, residents will pay between 1,300 dobras ($61.70) and 1,700 dobras per month, plus a one-time hardware cost ranging from 4,400 to 5,500 dobras.

Starlink is entering a market dominated by telecom operators. According to the latest market report published by the General Regulation Authority (AGER), the country had 5,775 fixed broadband subscribers at the end of December 2023, representing a penetration rate of 2.6%. Public company CST held a 61% market share, compared with 39% for Unitel. In the mobile internet segment, CST controlled 60% of the 96,901 subscribers recorded, against 40% for Unitel.

The internet penetration rate in Sao Tome and Principe was around 46% in 2023. This offers an opportunity for Starlink, whose services rely on a constellation of roughly 7,800 low-Earth orbit satellites. The company has the technical capability for nationwide coverage, including in areas difficult for terrestrial networks to reach.

However, the cost of the service remains a key factor. Data from the International Telecommunication Union (ITU) indicates that spending on 5 GB of mobile internet represents 4.35% of gross national income per capita in 2025. For fixed internet, this ratio rises to 12.5%, while the organisation says it should not exceed 2% to be considered affordable. For comparison, Starlink’s $61.70 offer represents about 26.7% of Sao Tome and Principe’s monthly GNI per capita, which stood at about $230.80 in 2024, according to the World Bank.

Isaac K. Kassouwi