Minister in the Presidency, Khumbudzo Ntshavheni, maintains the government had started considering the introduction of satellite technologies, including low-earth orbit providers like Starlink, a long time ago.
Ntshavheni says President Cyril Ramaphosa and his US counterpart, Donald Trump, did not discuss Elon Musk’s Starlink satellite-based internet service in their recent meeting at the White House in Washington DC.
Her remarks follow growing public scrutiny of the timing of Communications Minister Solly Malatsi’s proposed policy changes.
“What I need to clarify is that Starlink was not part of the discussions in the Oval Office or during the luncheon. And I’ve said it in the op-ed that I wrote about the trip itself, to say, do we need transformation? Do we need to introduce low-orbit satellites in the country? Not only low-orbit satellites but satellites in the country. And I said yes. I’m the first minister in the country to request ICASA to undertake a market study of how we’re going to regulate the introduction of satellites in the country, and what regulatory framework will be required,” explains Ntshavheni.
VIDEO |Discussion on the ICT policy:
PODCAST | What is Starlink and why is there a debate around it?
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