Nigeria: Starlink Speed in Nigeria Slower Compared to Other African Countries - Report

Starlink Internet speed in Nigeria is slower than in other African countries, according to a report. Starlink is operated by Starlink Services, LLC. This company is a subsidiary of SpaceX, owned by Elon Musk. Recently, Starlink increased its monthly subscription rates in Nigeria. Despite this increase, speeds remain low.

The report from Ookla detailed Starlink's speeds in Sub-Saharan Africa. In Nigeria, the average speed is 49.6 Mbps. In contrast, Botswana enjoys an average speed of 106.4 Mbps. Other countries with lower speeds than Nigeria include Zimbabwe, South Sudan, Kenya, and Madagascar. A spokesperson for Ookla cited network congestion as a reason for Nigeria's slower speeds.

"Nigeria is likely Starlink's biggest market in Africa," he said. "This could lead to more congestion than in Botswana." The number of users connected to the same satellite affects speeds significantly.

Botswana leads with 106.4 Mbps speed. Eswatini follows with 86.2 Mbps, slightly higher than Rwanda's 85.5 Mbps. Burundi recorded 79.5 Mbps on the Starlink network, while Sierra Leone had 77.8 Mbps.

Other countries like Mozambique (75.7 Mbps), Ghana (75.1 Mbps), Malawi (71.3 Mbps), and Zambia (69.7 Mbps) also have faster speeds than Nigeria.

Ookla explained that the number of satellites over a location can impact signal strength and speed too. More satellites generally lead to better coverage and higher speeds.

Additionally, the quality and positioning of the satellite dish can influence performance as well.

Despite these differences in speed, Starlink still outperforms terrestrial internet service providers across many African countries.