Rabat-Moroccan authorities and Starlink, a satellite internet service developed by SpaceX, the aerial and space company founded by Elon Musk, are in discussions to bring high-speed internet to western Sahara, Africa Intelligence reported today.
“The company is based on the support of the Moroccan Prime Minister Aziz Akhannouch, who supervises the project with the royal cabinet” report.
Starlink Must receive the approval of Moroccan authorities before the start of the service. The National Telecommunications Regulatory Agency (Anrt) will check the technical aspects, while security control for information system security (DGSSI) will evaluate security risks.
According to the report, the negotiations between Morocco and Starlink began in the summer of 2024 when Musk contacted Moroccan officials for the first time. The talks were continued in the Qatar-Africa Business Forum in Marrakech in November 2024, where Lauren Dreyer, starlinks Vice President, had discussions.
When approved, the project can have the potential to significantly improve Internet access at Morocco southern provinces.
Starlink, which covers over 100 countries worldwide, aims to deliver high-speed broadband internet with low broadband compared to conventional satellite services, especially in areas where traditional internet is not available, reliable or affordable.
Morocco has strongly invested in infrastructure and development projects in its southern provinces, and the project is expected to further improve connectivity and overall development in the region.
According to his websiteStarlink works differently than most traditional satellite internet services. Instead of using a single satellite that is very far from the earth (approx. 35,786 km), Starlink uses thousands of smaller satellites that circle much closer, about 550 km above earth.
Since these satellites are closer, the Internet signal does not have to travel as far as the connection with less latency is faster. This makes activities such as streaming, online games and video calls much more smoothly, says the company.
