Overview:
Starlink uses thousands of satellites in low orbit to beam high-speed internet to a dish on the ground. Because it does not rely on cables or phone masts, it can reach remote places that fibre and mobile networks do not
Elon Musk’s satellite internet service Starlink has been launched for business customers in Uganda, months after it was switched off in the country during the election period.
The service is being offered by Paratus Uganda, a joint venture between the pan-African firm Paratus Group and the Kampala-based internet provider Roke Telkom. It says it is the first company to formally launch Starlink in the country.
Starlink uses thousands of satellites in low orbit to beam high-speed internet to a dish on the ground. Because it does not rely on cables or phone masts, it can reach remote places that fibre and mobile networks do not.
Paratus and Roke say they are targeting businesses that operate far from Uganda’s towns and cities – among them mines, safari lodges, farms, building sites, clinics and aid agencies.
The launch follows a rocky path to market.
In December 2025, Uganda’s tax authority restricted imports of Starlink equipment, requiring clearance from the head of the army. Days later, on 1 January 2026 – weeks before the general election – Starlink switched off its network in the country after the regulator complained it was operating without a licence.
That standoff ended on 15 May 2026, when President Yoweri Museveni witnessed the signing of an operating licence between the Uganda Communications Commission and Starlink.
Edwin Kyambadde, country manager at Paratus Uganda, said the service filled gaps businesses had faced and gave them another way to connect.
“Our focus is not simply on selling connectivity,” he said. “We want to understand what the customer is trying to achieve, where they operate and what their network requires, and then design a solution that works for them.”
Peter Muhumuza, chief executive of Roke Telkom, said businesses now expected to be connected wherever they worked. The two firms say they will bundle Starlink with other services, including cybersecurity and cloud computing, and offer billing and technical support locally.
Cost, though, remains a hurdle.
The monthly plan in Uganda is currently about 220,000 Ugandan shillings – roughly $60 – with the dish itself costing around $420 before shipping, taxes and electricity. That can push the bill for a first year towards $1,500, keeping the service out of reach for many.
Paratus says its focus for now is on businesses rather than home users, though Starlink is also available to Ugandan consumers directly.