President Yoweri Museveni has approved Starlink Operating license paving way for Elon Musk satellite internet provider to begin operations in Uganda.
The signing ceremony took place at State House Entebbe and was attended by senior government officials, regulators, and representatives from Starlink and its parent company SpaceX.
The agreement was signed by UCC Executive Director George William Nyombi Thembo and Starlink representatives led by Ryan Goodnight as part of the regulatory..
In his emarks President Museveni described the development as an important milestone for Uganda’s digital and communications infrastructure.
“Our interest remains security, revenue assurance, and ensuring proper accountability within the telecommunications sector so that we clearly know what is happening with telecom companies and who the customers are,” Museveni stated.
After the signing ceremony, UCC issued operational certification to Starlink outlining compliance requirements, including the establishment of a national gateway,
Ryan Goodnight welcomed the agreement and said Starlink hoped to expand affordable internet access and support Uganda’s digital economy.
“It is a great honour to be here in this beautiful country. We are incredibly excited that we are forging this cooperation and bringing this network here,” Goodnight said.
“We believe this partnership will lower internet costs and enable more people to join the digital economy. We are ready to comply with Uganda’s laws and work closely with the government and UCC to ensure successful implementation,” he added.
Goodnight also revealed that Starlink plans to support education and healthcare institutions through donations of internet connectivity devices.
The Permanent Secretary at the Ministry of ICT and National Guidance, Dr Aminah Zawedde, asked Starlink officials to ensure all activated devices are registered within Uganda while maintaining a physical operational presence in the country.
“All telecommunications and internet service providers in the country—including foreign operators like Starlink—must comply with Ugandan law,”she stated.
Starlink is a satellite-based broadband internet service operated through a constellation of low-Earth orbit satellites designed to provide high-speed internet access, particularly in remote and underserved areas where traditional fibre or mobile internet infrastructure remains limited.
Starlink’s expansion has also generated regulatory and political controversy in several countries due to concerns over data sovereignty, state oversight, taxation, and governments’ ability to monitor communications passing through satellite systems outside conventional telecom infrastructure.
Starlink’s African network operates in over 24 countries, providing high-speed, low-latency satellite broadband to underserved and remote regions. While the service is scaling rapidly through direct subscriptions and key infrastructure, it continually navigates technical bandwidth congestion and complex, country-specific regulatory disputeS.
Service is officially licensed and available in regions like Nigeria, Kenya, Rwanda, Zambia, Mozambique, Ghana, and Zimbabwe.
