Starlink speed in Nigeria slower compared to other African countries – Report
Starlink Internet speed in Nigeria is slower compared to other African countries, a report has indicated. Starlink is operated by Starlink Services, LLC, an international telecommunications provider that is a wholly owned subsidiary of American aerospace company SpaceX belonging to US Billionaire Elon Musk. The Starlink recently increased its monthly subscription rates for its services […]
Starlink Internet speed in Nigeria is slower compared to other African countries, a report has indicated.
Starlink is operated by Starlink Services, LLC, an international telecommunications provider that is a wholly owned subsidiary of American aerospace company SpaceX belonging to US Billionaire Elon Musk.
The Starlink recently increased its monthly subscription rates for its services in Nigeria.
However, despite its higher subscription rates, a report by broadband intelligence firm Ookla indicated that Nigeria has emerged among countries getting slower speeds from the satellite service.
- 2025 hajj: 12 states complete airlift as 25,702 pilgrims arrive S/Arabia
- Power crisis crippling economic activities in Kano – Northern youths
The report detailed the speeds of Starlink Internet in Sub-Saharan Africa.
According to the report, Starlink’s average speed in Nigeria is 49.6 Mbps, while a country like Botswana enjoys 106.4 Mbps from the same network.
Other countries getting lower speeds than Nigeria are Zimbabwe, South Sudan, Kenya, and Madagascar.
A spokesperson for Ookla in an interview with Nairametrics attributed the slower speed in Nigeria to network congestion.
“Nigeria is arguably Starlink’s biggest market in Africa, so its network could be more congested than that in Botswana. The number of users connected to the same satellite can impact speeds,” he said.
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.
In addition, the firm noted that the quality and positioning of the satellite dish (terminal) can also influence performance.
Despite the disparity in speeds, the report noted that Starlink’s speed outperforms terrestrial internet service providers (ISPs) across African countries.