Amid conflict and connectivity challenges in Sudan, Starlink satellite dishes have emerged as a crucial tool for communication and financial transactions. Despite not being officially available in the country, these dishes are providing a vital service to the people affected by the turmoil.
What Happened: The town of Tamboul in Sudan has seen Starlink satellite dishes become an indispensable means of internet access amidst frequent outages since the conflict escalated last April, France 24 reported on Tuesday.
The service, provided by Elon Musk’s SpaceX, is being smuggled into Sudan and used by locals to make calls and manage online transactions, often with financial support from relatives abroad or local entrepreneurs. The ongoing strife between Sudan’s army and the paramilitary Rapid Support Forces has led to mass displacement and a collapse of the banking system, prompting reliance on the internet-based Bank of Khartoum app, Bankak, for financial dealings.
Starlink did not immediately respond to Benzinga's request for comment.
Despite a government ban on Starlink devices ...