In early 2023, our president jetted off to the US with a mission: wooing foreign investments. Word on the street is that he managed to convince Elon Musk to bring his Starlink magic to our country, and guess what? Elon apparently just shrugged and said, “Sure.” Fast forward a year, and boom, we’ve got Starlink up and running!
I remember hearing whispers of a similar idea years ago, back when Mark Zuckerberg was cooking up some global internet solution to showcase his Facebook empire. People doubted it back then – not just because of the crazy technical and financial challenges but also because governments were like, “Uh-uh, you’re not messing with our telecom money.”
So when I heard Elon Musk and Space X were going to pull off the same stunt, I was skeptical. I mean, who wouldn’t be? But surprise, surprise – it actually happened!
Now, let’s be real. Starlink isn’t everyone’s cup of tea. The cheapest unlimited plans are about K700/month, and the equipment will set you back around $500. So, it’s not exactly pocket change for your average Joe. But here’s the kicker – for those living in Shangombo without traditional internet or mobile coverage, Starlink is a game-changer.
In a nutshell, having Space X’s Starlink in Zambia has been a massive deal, hands down the biggest tech news of the year. It’s like we’ve been beamed into the future, one Elon Musk satellite at a time.
This post is part of the What Happened in Tech in 2023 series.
