On July 14, the Georgian National Communications Commission approved SpaceX's Starlink broadband constellation to operate in the country and provide high-speed internet connection in Eastern Europe.
The company owned by American entrepreneur and billionaire Elon Musk has applied to operate Starlink Georgia, founded by the Starlink Holdings Netherlands company on June 29.
Starlink in Georgia Will Be Available Next Year
Starlink had advertised providing high-speed, low-latency internet connection to even the most remote locations around the world where internet is expensive, unreliable, and entirely unavailable. Currently, SpaceX has over 2,700 Starlink satellites in low Earth orbit and will add more to achieve its goal of 40,000 satellites.
Georgia, a former Soviet republic, recently became the latest country to allow Starlink to operate in its country. According to Space News, the Georgian National Communications Commission pointed out the importance of Starlink in providing access to high-speed internet in mountainous regions and settlements of all geographical areas, making it available for everyone.
The availability map of SpaceX shows that Starlink will become available across much of Georgia in 2023 and in areas near its northern territory, which they share with Russia.
For now, Russia is one of the countries not listed on the map with access to Starlink and no future plans for it to become available. Other countries not on the map as well include Afghanistan. Belarus, Cuba, China, Iran, North Korea, Syria, and Venezuela.
SpaceX CEO Elon Musk said that Starlink is available in over 30 countries and serves almost 500,000 users as of the last week of May.
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Three New Countries Approve Starlink Operation
The National Telecommunications Commission (NTC) of the Philippines announced in May this year its approval of the registration of Starlink Internet Services Philippines, Inc. as a value-added service (VAS)0 provider, Developing Telecoms reported.
The approval grants Starlink to directly access satellite systems and build and operate broadband facilities to offer internet services in the country, becoming the first Southeast Asian nation to approve Starlink.
They were supposed to launch their services before the end of the six-year term of former President Rodrigo Duterte on June 30, but the construction of a gateway in the country has been delayed, says Trade Secretary Ramon Lopez. Instead, operations will likely begin in the last quarter of the country.
Meanwhile, Starlink has also been approved to operate in Nigeria and Mozambique in Africa. Starlink received two licenses in Nigeria, the international gateway license valid for ten years and an internet service provider license. However, there are still problems in acquiring approval from the government of India to allow Sarlink's operation in the country.
The approval from the three new countries is good news for Starlink. However, there are still concerns over the business model and the affordability of the services for many low-income would-be users of the Starlink broadband connection services.
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Check out more news and information on Starlink in Science Times.
