Starlink reseller now operating in Lesotho

T-Connect Lesotho, a licensed reseller of Starlink, Elon Musk’s satellite Internet service, officially launched on Monday, after mounting economic pressure on Lesotho from the US. The country experienced widespread job losses after major US funding cuts, led by Musk’s ‘cost-cutting’ Department of Government Efficiency in President Donald Trump’s administration. News24 reports that Trump also imposed a 50% tariff on imports, among the steepest in the world. This led to partial closures of factories and mass lay-offs, particularly in the textile industry and in frontline healthcare and school nutrition programmes. Despite mounting local opposition, Prime Minister Samuel Matekane’s government has granted Starlink Lesotho – a subsidiary of Musk’s SpaceX – a 10-year operating licence to run a satellite Internet network in the country. The step is seen by some as appeasement of the US. During Monday night’s launch, T-Connect Lesotho CEO Phelane Phomane said the venture is expected to create 10 000 direct and 50 000 indirect jobs in Lesotho.

Full News24 report