(Business in Cameroon) – Cameroon has moved a step closer to authorising Starlink’s operations with the Telecommunications Regulatory Board (ART) reportedly said to have submitted the draft Concession Agreement and technical specifications for Starlink Cameroun Sarl to the competent supervisory authority. The development is detailed in the 2025 budget review presented by the Minister of Posts and Telecommunications, Minette Libom Li Likeng, to the Budget and Finance Committee of the National Assembly.
According to the minister’s presentation, the draft agreement has been forwarded to the technical supervisory authority, initiating the procedure required for the possible granting of a concession for Starlink to provide satellite internet services to end users. This development comes as fresh negotiations between the government and Starlink resumed earlier this year.
A Starlink delegation met the Minister of Posts and Telecommunications on 27 June 2025 to discuss the formal establishment of operations in Cameroon. The meeting followed earlier regulatory tensions that led to the suspension of Starlink’s services in April 2024. At the time, the company had restricted roaming access globally after announcing it would enforce its two-month roaming limit for users operating outside authorised countries.
Before the suspension, Starlink services had been used in Cameroon through indirect registrations in countries where the provider was licensed. The government issued repeated warnings against the import and use of unapproved Starlink equipment. On 15 April 2024, the Director General of Customs instructed border services to seize any incoming Starlink hardware lacking prior approval from the TRB, citing national security concerns and the need for oversight.
The renewed talks align with wider regional momentum. Since February 2025, French telecoms operator Orange has partnered with SpaceX to support Starlink’s deployment across Africa, positioning Cameroon among potential markets for expansion. The government has stated that regulatory procedures are ongoing to regularise the satellite provider’s presence.
Starlink, operated by Elon Musk’s SpaceX, supplies high-speed satellite internet primarily to regions underserved by fibre or mobile networks. Its enforcement of geolocation-based restrictions in April 2024 followed requests from the Cameroonian authorities for the company to block service use within the country until official approval is granted.
The submission of the concession documents now places the decision with the technical supervisory bodies responsible for authorisation. If completed, the process could open the way for Starlink’s formal entry into Cameroon’s telecommunications sector.
Mercy Fosoh
