(Bloomberg) -- Elon Musk’s SpaceX has sought an official distributor to operate its Starlink satellite internet service in Sudan, according to people familiar with the matter.
The efforts to find a distributor have proven difficult because of violence and uncertainty stemming from a 15-month-long civil war in the North African nation, said the people who asked not to be identified because of the sensitive nature of the matter. The search is ongoing, one of the people said.
SpaceX didn’t respond to a request for comment.
A Bloomberg investigation in March revealed wide-spanning examples of Starlink kits being traded and activated illegally or without government clearance in countries including Sudan.
Conflict erupted in the North African nation in April 2023, pitting the nation’s army against a paramilitary force. More than 150,000 people have been killed in the fighting, according to US government estimates.
Many of the Starlink devices have proliferated and are being imported through corridors controlled by the paramilitary force through neighboring Chad and South Sudan.
Humanitarian groups have actively lobbied Starlink to maintain its service in Sudan amid a nationwide internet blackout that’s inhibited their efforts to provide aid. Volunteers and health workers use Starlink for vital communications as they work to provide relief.
South Sudan
Starlink earlier this month obtained a provisional license to operate its Starlink satellite internet service in neighboring South Sudan. The oil-producing nation has been beset by conflict since seceding from Sudan in 2011.
Fighting in South Sudan has also been increasing because of the unrest in Sudan, as refugees cross the border and place more strain on limited resources, poor infrastructure and adding to the nation’s joblessness.
“Favorable terms have been agreed upon, encompassing accessible capacity and terminal units for utilizing Starlink services within the nation,” South Sudan’s National Communication Authority said in a statement sent by email from the capital, Juba, on Friday. “Starlink has submitted its tariff proposals, which have received official approval.”
Subscribe Now: Business of Space newsletter, a weekly look at the inside stories of investments beyond Earth.
--With assistance from Loni Prinsloo.
©2024 Bloomberg L.P.
