A new test using SpaceX’s Starlink internet was conducted by service provider Quick Connect Wireless in the Kalahari desert in Southern Africa, according to a report from My Broadband.
The company tested the Starlink hardware during a trip to the Kgalagadi Transfrontier Park, located in the southern part of the Kalahari. The connection was tested over four days, and was set up in Tweerivieren, Nossob, as well as Kalahari Tent Camp areas.
In this area, there is little to no cellular service, let alone connectivity for fixed internet connections.
The team called Starlink’s performance “super impressive,” with internet service reaching download speeds of 167 Mbps and upload speeds of 11.8 Mbps.
“Basically, it was a copy-paste service as what was received in Joburg,” Quick Connect Wireless said. “We had similar levels of service at each of the camps as well as various picnic sites along the way.”
Although it has launched in other African nations, Starlink has yet to become available in South Africa, meaning the Quick Connect Wireless team had to bring a kit to the area and turn on global roaming. The legality of using Starlink in South Africa is still in a grey area, at best.
In recent months, Starlink launched in Rwanda, with the country becoming the latest in Africa to gain access to the service.
Yesterday, Starlink launched service in El Salvador.
