Starlink launches in Malawi and Malaysia
Starlink, the satellite internet service, is making swift strides in expanding its ground station network and deploying more satellites with inter-satellite links (ISLs) to reach new regions. Just a week after launching in Kenya, the service is now available in two additional countries – Malaysia in Southeast Asia, and Malawi in
Starlink, the satellite internet service, is making swift strides in expanding its ground station network and deploying more satellites with inter-satellite links (ISLs) to reach new regions.
Just a week after launching in Kenya, the service is now available in two additional countries – Malaysia in Southeast Asia, and Malawi in Africa. Malawi's launch represents Starlink's 61st available market. In recent weeks, Starlink has also been introduced in Guatemala, the Philippines and Cyprus.
Notably, hardware prices for subscribers differ significantly in both regions. In Malawi, subscribers are required to pay a higher one-time hardware fee of MWK 655,000 (~US$ 622), along with shipment and handling fees of MWK 26,500 (~US$25). In contrast, subscribers in Malaysia enjoy a significantly lower one-time hardware fee of MYR 2,300 (~US$ 503), along with shipment and handling fees of MYR 100 (~US$22). Although Starlink hasn't provided a reason for this price difference, it appears to be consistent across all of Starlink's launch locations.
Techloy
On the other hand, data subscriptions in both regions are relatively similar: MWK 52,000 (~US$ 49) per month in Malawi and MYR 220 (~US$ 48) per month in Malaysia, slightly above average prices in Europe.
So far this year, Starlink has already expanded its services to 16 different countries globally, with a particular focus on African countries such as Nigeria, Kenya, Mozambique, and Rwanda.
Moving forward, Starlink is set to venture into Sierra Leone, where the service was recently granted an operating license, and also 17 more African countries in 2023, showcasing its ambitious plans for further global expansion.
