Starlink has recently raised the monthly subscription fees for its services in Nigeria. Yet, a report from broadband intelligence firm Ookla showed that, despite these increased rates, Nigeria has become one of the countries receiving slower speeds from the satellite service.
The report outlined the speeds of Starlink Internet in Sub-Saharan Africa. Nigeria is arguably Starlink’s largest market in Africa, meaning its network may experience more congestion than that of Botswana. He stated, “The speed can be affected by how many users are connected to the same satellite.”
The report indicates that Starlink’s average speed in Nigeria is 49.6 Mbps, whereas Botswana benefits from 106.4 Mbps from the same network.
Countries that have lower speeds than Nigeria, apart from it, are South Sudan, Zimbabwe, Madagascar, and Kenya.
In an interview with Nairametrics, a representative of Ookla explained that the slower speed in Nigeria is due to network congestion.
According to the report, while Botswana topped with 106.4 Mbps speed, Eswatini came second with 86.2 Mbps, slightly higher than Rwanda’s 85.5 Mbps.
Burundi recorded 79.5 Mbps on the Starlink network, followed by Sierra Leone at 77.8 Mbps.
Mozambique, Ghana, Malawi, and Zambia are also getting faster speeds than Nigeria, as the countries recorded 75.7, 75.1, 71.3, and 69.7 Mbps in that order.
Ookla as quoted by Nairametrics explained further that the number of satellites over a location can also affect signal strength and speed, adding that more satellites can lead to better coverage and higher speeds.
Moreover, the company pointed out that the performance can also be affected by how well the satellite dish (terminal) is positioned and its quality.
The report highlighted that, although there are differences in speed, Starlink’s performance exceeds that of terrestrial internet service providers (ISPs) throughout African countries.
Moreover, the company pointed out that the performance can also be affected by how well the satellite dish (terminal) is positioned and its quality.
The report highlighted that, although there are differences in speed, Starlink’s performance exceeds that of terrestrial internet service providers (ISPs) throughout African countries.
About The Author
