By Paidashe Mandivengerei
RATTLED by the entry of global Internet Service Provider (ISP) Starlink’s entry into the Zimbabwean market, state-owned TelOne has conceded defeat and decided to sell its rival’s kits.
Without the capacity to compete with Starlink’s Low Earth Orbit (LEO) satellite service that has download and upload speeds of up to 200mb, TelOne announced that it had been licensed to be an official reseller of the kits.
With a reasonable US$200 charge, the Starlink kits are cheaper than local ISPs, even after adding the minimum monthly charge of US$30 for unlimited access to its internet.
TelOne’s cheapest package is the 30G bundle that goes for ZiG182 (US$15).
“To all our valued Clients and Stakeholders, please be advised that TelOne is now an officially authorised Starlink Reseller,” read a statement from the parastatal.
TelOne praised the move as exciting and an expansion of its services.
“This exciting development expands our range of services that enable us to better serve you with modern and efficient connectivity solutions,” added the statement.
“The Starlink satellite internet solution is designed to deliver high speed, low latency internet access including the most remote parts of the country.
“TelOne is committed to providing connectivity across Zimbabwe and beyond.
“The appointment of TelOne as an authorized Starlink reseller enhances our ability to achieve this goal.”
Last week, the government banned the sale and distribution of Starlink sets by unlicensed service providers.
The move came weeks after an exciting decision to eventually license the Space X owned services in the country.
