President Yoweri Kaguta Museveni has witnessed the signing of a Memorandum of Understanding and operational licence agreement between the Uganda Communications Commission and Starlink, paving the way for the satellite internet provider’s entry into Uganda’s telecommunications sector.
The agreement, signed at State House Entebbe, was executed by UCC Executive Director George William Nyombi Thembo and representatives of SpaceX led by Mr Ryan Goodnight.
President Museveni described the development as an important milestone for Uganda’s ICT and connectivity landscape.
“Our interest remains security, revenue assurance, and ensuring proper accountability within the telecommunications sector so that we clearly know what is happening with telecom companies and who the customers are,” President Museveni said.
Following the signing ceremony, UCC issued Starlink with the necessary certification to guide the rollout of its operations in Uganda in line with national regulatory requirements.
Under the licensing framework, Starlink will establish a national gateway, a physical point of presence in Uganda and an operational office staffed with technical and legal support personnel to ensure compliance and effective service delivery.
During the ceremony, Mr Thembo handed over the operational certificate to Starlink officials, formally marking the company’s planned entry into Uganda’s internet and telecommunications market.
Speaking at the event, Mr Ryan Goodnight welcomed the agreement, describing it as a major step toward improving internet accessibility and affordability in Uganda.
“It is a great honour to be here in this beautiful country. We are incredibly excited that we are forging this cooperation and bringing this network here,” Mr Goodnight said.
“We believe this partnership will lower internet costs and enable more people to join the digital economy. We are ready to comply with Uganda’s laws and work closely with the government and UCC to ensure successful implementation,” he added.
Mr Goodnight also revealed that Starlink intends to support social sectors such as education and health through donations of internet connectivity devices to selected facilities across the country.
“I am excited to see the impact this project will make. We believe it will have an excellent impact, especially if we work together with the ministries of Education and Health,” he noted.
The Permanent Secretary at the Ministry of ICT and National Guidance, Dr Aminah Zawedde, said the agreement followed extensive engagements between the government and Starlink officials to ensure full compliance with Uganda’s regulatory framework.
“We are witnessing the signing of the provisional licence for Starlink after agreeing on the terms and features of the licence,” Dr Zawedde said.
She explained that the agreement requires Starlink to deploy a national gateway with a physical presence in Uganda, ensure all devices activated in the country are registered and maintain an operational office with key technical, legal and support staff.
Dr Zawedde said the agreement demonstrates Uganda’s commitment to expanding digital connectivity while safeguarding national interests and strengthening regulation within the telecommunications sector.
The event was also attended by Robie Kakonge and other government officials.