Five men have been arrested in Harare for illegally selling Starlink satellite internet kits, a development that comes as Starlink itself announces it is temporarily halting new customer sign-ups in Harare and Bulawayo due to overwhelming demand.
The arrests, made by detectives from the Criminal Investigations Department (CID) Highlands on Saturday, highlight the growing popularity of Starlink’s service in Zimbabwe and the challenges of regulating its distribution.
The suspects, identified as Polite Jamba (28), Ngoni Mandiwo (29), Denver Ndebele (26), Tinotenda Vambe (26), and Lennin Mhiripiri (26), were apprehended in two separate operations. The initial arrest stemmed from a tip-off that Ndebele and Mandiwo were selling Starlink kits at shop number 1, Easy Walk Mall in Harare’s central business district (CBD). Officers responding to the tip-off found the pair in possession of two unlicensed Starlink Gen 2 kits, valued at US$900. These kits were seized, and the suspects detained.
Later that day, undercover CID detectives, posing as potential customers, apprehended Jamba, Vambe, and Mhiripiri. These three were found with an unlicensed Starlink Mini kit, valued at US$450. They were subsequently arrested and taken into custody. All five suspects are now facing charges related to the unlicensed sale of Starlink equipment.
The arrests follow a recent announcement by the Postal and Telecommunications Regulatory Authority of Zimbabwe (POTRAZ) prohibiting the sale of Starlink kits without the necessary licenses. The government has also urged individuals who previously imported Starlink kits without a license to regularise their status through licensed entities. This crackdown on unlicensed sales underscores the government’s efforts to regulate the burgeoning satellite internet market.
The arrests coincide with Starlink’s announcement that it has reached network capacity in Harare and Bulawayo. This means that new customer sign-ups in these cities have been temporarily suspended.
Starlink’s website map clearly marks Bulawayo as “sold out,” reflecting the high demand for their service in these densely populated urban areas. The company attributes the capacity limitations to the exceptionally high demand for their fast and reliable internet connectivity.
If Starlink tells you they’re at capacity in your area, it means their network cannot accommodate any additional devices at that moment. This means that one can place an order, but they have to wait in a queue while capacity for the low-orbit satellites is increased.
The situation has resulted in slower-than-expected internet speeds for some existing users, with reports of speeds dropping as low as 1mbps.
In response to the overwhelming demand and the temporary halt of new sign-ups, Elon Musk, CEO of SpaceX, the parent company of Starlink, tweeted on X: “Starlink is working to increase Internet capacity in dense urban areas in Africa as fast as possible. Please note that there is still significant capacity outside of city centres.”
While Musk acknowledged the issue and the company’s efforts to address it, he did not provide a specific timeframe for when increased capacity will be available. Despite the temporary setbacks, the high demand for Starlink’s service in Zimbabwe highlights the need for reliable and affordable internet access.
