Rabat – Moroccan authorities and Starlink, a satellite internet service developed by SpaceX, the aerospace company founded by Elon Musk, are in discussions to bring high-speed internet to Western Sahara, Africa Intelligence reported today.
“The firm is relying on the support of Moroccan Prime Minister Aziz Akhannouch, who is supervising the project with the royal cabinet,” added the report.
Starlink must get approval from Moroccan authorities before launching the service. The National Telecommunications Regulatory Agency (ANRT) is set to review the technical aspects, while the General Directorate of Information System Security (DGSSI) will assess security risks.
According to the report, negotiations between Morocco and Starlink began in the summer of 2024, when Musk first contacted Moroccan officials. Talks continued at the Qatar-Africa Business Forum in Marrakech in November 2024, where Lauren Dreyer, Starlink’s vice president, led discussions.
If approved, the project has the potential to greatly improve internet access in Morocco’s southern provinces.
Starlink, which provides coverage to over 100 countries across the world, aims to deliver high-speed, low-latency broadband internet compared to traditional satellite services, especially in areas where traditional internet is not available, reliable, or affordable.
Morocco has heavily invested in infrastructure and development projects in its southern provinces, and the project is expected to further enhance connectivity and overall development in the region.
According to its website, Starlink works differently from most traditional satellite internet services. Instead of using a single satellite that orbits very far from Earth (about 35,786 km), Starlink uses thousands of smaller satellites that orbit much closer, about 550 km above the Earth.
Because these satellites are closer, the internet signal doesn’t have to travel as far, so the connection is faster with lower latency. This makes activities like streaming, online gaming, and video calls much smoother, the company says.
