It took a while for Zimbabwe to get on the satellite internet bandwagon (low earth orbit) but the door is ajar now. In the space of a week we got Liquid Intelligent Technologies announcing their partnership with Eutelsat and Starlink getting licensed.
We talked about the Starlink deal and there is still more to discuss there. For now, let us dig into the Liquid-Eutelsat partnership and see what it means for Zimbabweans and for Liquid itself.
The gist: Liquid and Eutelsat partnered to bring low earth orbit (LEO) satellite services to Africa. This will enable Liquid to offer high-speed internet connectivity to customers across multiple African countries, particularly in remote areas. The partnership leverages Eutelsat’s OneWeb LEO satellite network, providing lower latency, faster speeds, and higher bandwidth compared to traditional satellite technology. The traditional stuff is in play too, Liquid will also leverage Eutelsat’s GEO satellites.
Remember, old school satellite internet relied on geostationary satellites (GEO). LEO satellites orbit much closer to Earth (500-2,000 km) than GEO satellites (about 35,786 km), resulting in lower latency, higher bandwidth, and better global coverage. GEO satellites, however, provide continuous coverage over a specific area with fewer satellites needed but have higher latency and launch costs.
What OneWeb means for Liquid
Would Liquid have partnered OneWeb had Starlink not applied to operate in Zimbabwe? Probably, but I’d wager that deal was years away. I believe this deal was rushed to get in front of the Starlink announcement.
OneWeb solves the coverage problem for Liquid. Laying fibre networks is expensive and time consuming and to date, most Zimbabweans do not have access to fibre internet. OneWeb’s LEO network has global coverage and that’s huge for Liquid.
Satellites are more expensive, Elon Musk said it would take about $10 billion to fully deploy and operationalise Starlink’s LEO network. Estimates say OneWeb’s network cost around $3.4 billion.
We don’t know exactly how much Liquid has spent on its infrastructure but we can be confident it’s not that high. However, when you consider that the satellite options have a global coverage, they turn out cheaper per region.
So, with one stroke of a pen, Liquid can claim to cover 100% of Zimbabwe and all the other countries it operates in. Meaning my friend in Masvingo who was complaining about his connectivity options will be covered now.
OneWeb has always been different from Starlink in that it primarily seeks out business to business opportunities, like the Liquid one. OneWeb partners intermediaries that distribute and resell its services.
Starlink vs OneWeb
Here’s a slightly biased screenshot of the major differences between Starlink and OneWeb by IPaccess,
OneWeb has fewer satellites because they orbit at a higher altitude (1,200 to 1,500km) than the Starlink ones (about 550km). That also explains why Starlink has lower latency.
Starlink vs Liquid
Off the bat, it is clear who Liquid are targeting with this OneWeb tech. Philippe Baudrier, VP Connectivity, Africa for Eutelsat says,
…We look forward to the positive impacts we can have to help Liquid’s customers flourish, especially in the mining industry in Central Africa.
Liquid on their part say,
…Liquid Dataport’s LEO services, in partnership with Eutelsat, also include enterprise access with Internet breakout, including Point-to-Point services, providing a versatile and robust solution for diverse business needs…
…Liquid Dataport is planning a systematic expansion of services, aligning with the evolving demand for low-latency primary and backup services in remote regions of the continent and benefiting a range of businesses across all industries…
This all means Liquid is primarily targeting businesses with their satellite options. Starlink caters to a broad range of customers, including individual consumers, businesses, and institutions. However, as we have noted before, the economic realities in this country mean most of Starlink’s customers will be the same businesses Liquid is going after.
So, one wonders if Liquid will get those business clients, especially government institutions, if Starlink gets preferential tender treatment through its IMC partnership. Starlink partnered a ruling-elite-connected IMC and those guys stand to make money from Starlink’s success in the country.
Should a state clinic in the rural areas require internet access, who do you think the government’s procurement department are going to go with? You know how the game is played in Zimbabwe.
The only difference this time around is that Starlink is not an inferior product to Liquid/OneWeb’s solution. So, while Starlink might get the govt gigs through dirty means, the govt departments themselves will get a good service.
Individuals
While individuals will not be the main customers for both satellite internet options, I imagine tens of thousands will be able to afford the hardware needed to use these services. Starlink is more widely known and that will give them the leg up.
However, should Liquid offer some hardware acquisition financing, that might move the needle. Liquid has done this before, offering customers to pay for their routers and fibre installations in instalments.
If the options are shell out $650 all at once for Starlink or pay a similar figure in 3 to 6 months for Liquid’s service, what would you do?
I believe the $250 SIM card lesson was learnt and everyone now knows that subscriptions are where it’s at. Hardware costs will be financed, subsidised and the like just to ensure these businesses get sweet subscription money for years to come.
We are in for a treat ladies and gentlemen. This is the most exciting the telecommunications space has been in Zimbabwe for a while. Watch these companies fight for our dollars and ZiGs.
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Liquid or Econet may have quite some interest, if not shares, and it makes sense for Liquid to be between the customer and the satellites for administration and subscriptions. For Starlink, do we need an intermediary, or we only need banks to pay for the equipment and subscriptions with the contract being between Starlink and the user, as was before Starlink was ordered to switch off local customers?
Is it possible to check how the countries which adopted earlier are doing it?
We are indeed in for a treat TechZim🇿🇼. This absolutely fantastic news. I really hope that Liquid will be able to match Wickness pound for pound, and deliver the much needed knockout 🥊🥊 that dirty deals deserve. Even if it is slightly more expensive, I will most definitely rather subscribe to Liquid IT, safe in the knowledge that I am not aiding and abetting dirty money and dirty deals.
Well done as usual TechZim🇿🇼. Your tech reports are truly amazing! 🤠
As long as it’s not outlawed, I would rather buy my Starlink kit online (direct from Starlink). As much as I would rather support local companies, Liquid has been ripping us off ruthlessly for years.
To each his own!
I would go with anyone who is not a Zanu PF aid
what difference does it make
Starlink will always be the best .visited liquid yesterday and they told me their boosters are all full so l access the network.you can imagine,yet l am a holder of their simcard.how can we really rely on such a company that offers such services.poooooor
“…dirty money and dirty deals…” ? With Elon Musk? It doesn’t work.
Some people just don’t realise how disappointed Zimbabweans are, and how much Starlink’s reputation has been soiled, by them being forced to operate through ZANU-PF’s Weakass Chivayo! What should be a very beautiful moment for us all has now been irrevocably tarnished by the egregious directives of a dictator!
🤦🏾♂️🤦🏾♂️🤦🏾♂️🤦🏾♂️🤦🏾♂️🤦🏾♂️🤦🏾♂️🤦🏾♂️🤦🏾♂️🤦🏾♂️
Welcome STARLINK
Apaa
You can get Starlink straight from them without going through Sir Wicked’s company.
Good ,see the avenue starlink has opened, competition . As for me I would rather go for starlink coz they have never robbed me
The liquids econets etc no more for me
Exactly!
I agree 100 % !!!
Kwasara voice calls….I believe txt messages have to be almost free service too
Are these guys also doing direct to cell? Starlink already posted a test video call over direct to cell so while they will take time to ramp from text to data, they already have working tech.
It’s rather to late for Liquid in my view. Remember they are the same reason why everyone has been signing the Starlink song.
Just look at how many of these Starlink units were being acquired from countries where it been be licensed before Zim did. That tells a story
There’s nothing exciting here, it will just be an extension of the bad service we have come to expect from Econet et al.
2nd, I seriously doubt their ability to execute. Remember their pay tv venture. It started with a lot of huff and puff but ended in a whimper.
3rd , they are not serious , satellite broadband space has been heating up ever since Starlink went live. Liquid/Econet are all of a sudden now scrambling, after the powers that be, stabbed them in the back.
They should instead concentrate on increasing their own raw capacity.
For years people have felt that econet in its various iterations has been ripping them off very badly in terms of both cost and service. I was personally treated so badly by their customer service personnel I swore to never darken their doors again. Making something that is supposed to be a basic need nowadays elitist is coming back to bite them. Now that Starlink is here, suddenly Liquid has the capacity to offer 100mbps as standard? $200+ subs has always been akin to financial sodomy and now someone is offering $30-odd options they will drastically reduce their prices. They’ve been taking us for a ride and now is their time of reckoning.
Internet service providers robbery us last 25 years
But Liquid’s (POTRAZ?) corrections of the prices 100 % 1st of November, another 50 % 1st of December and 50 % 1st of February was “overflow the glass” raising prices of Internet to the sky.
It was incredible arrogance and robbery of the customers.
If Liquid want to stay in charge I don’t have anything against fiber connection on which I am currently but:
It can’t be 1 $ more expensive compare to Starlink for exactly same service regarding speed and other parameters.
If is not like that BYE BYE LIQUID AND WELCOME STARLINK!!!
Whilst one cannot deny econet’s rip off I will venture to say they were not the only one fleecing people of their $s..even those quasi gvt SPs were in on the act. Part of this robbery was not of their making. Portraz had a hand through price controls amongst other repressing regulations The different regional prices has something to do with the regulatory bodies in the the respective countries so now our potraz coupled with profiteering intermediaries it remains to be seen. As they say usasiye chiri mumaoko nekuda kuombera
Well written piece, I don’t think liquid is aware this might be an extinction level event. Their arrogance and close mindedness feeling entitled to 10x margins like the boys and girls in silicon valley has led them here. A few years from now when 100mbs+ connections are ubiquitous how much of a stake will they have. Judging by sentiment not much.
Starlink chiuyaaaa tapera mari isu.
Starlink chiuyaaaa tapera mari isu.
When Netflix arrived DSTV suddenly were able to ‘help’ their consumer base with better packages and pricing.
This is the same thing. Something better has threatened their business model so now they react instead of initially being proactive and giving their client base the best value for money.
They have been living on the pigs back. I will not support them simply because they are reactive to competition, they have been ripping the country off for ages, now they can all take a bite of the bitter cake they have baked.
econet and liquid can sukky my dikky in q3 2024 … !!
Welcome , Starlink. I personally prefer Starlink but not through Mr Chivayo. I would rather buy it in Zambia if possible than to buy it through this IMC thing.
Ok, the only thing left is for Elon to launch the mini kit that’s in development. If it comes in at a lower price than the standard kit, Zim might be in for an internet Renaissance as ISPs finally start to compete for real. Even telone will have to make their reliability work if they don’t want to say adiós to every customer currently paying more than $30.
If anyone would be kind to explain wphat the $250 sim card lesson that’s being referred to in the article is about? 😊
When cellphones came, during the era of the celebrated Nokia cellular phones, (zvimbudzi zvekutanga zviya), sim cards were very expensive to the point one had to sell a beast in order to acquire enough money to pay for the sim card, a once off payment, to mean one didn’t need to stagger the payments- no instalments waibhadhara ka one so to speak. Now we are at Starlink, a once off payment of its hardware, to mean the standard kit at around US$650 is very expensive and burdensome, better if payment would be made in instalments and maybe Liquid will be able to to do that but the onus is on Starlink, because Liquid already milked clients dry in years. In other words it would be better if Starlink chips in and make pple pay for the hardware (router and antenna) in instalments than if this is done by Liquid. Plus it looks like Liquid et al now hint on improving service now that Starlink has finally come.
I don’t think Starlink offers installment plans in any country where they provide their service, and I doubt they will start. The initial equipment cost is high, but I think the Zimbabwean diaspora will be able to purchase it for their families. Families in high-density areas may come together to purchase the equipment.
On a serious tip, povo like me who can’t fork out the cash for the kit aren’t exactly the target market, however, legit micro lenders exist out there. This is also where a competent local partner comes in. They can leverage connections and resources to create a financing deal that works locally. I wouldn’t call this particular partner competent, but they are already creating speed packages that don’t exist from Starlink. Financing shouldn’t be a big deal.
Techzim how are u. Which platform or service provider can i use for sending bulk SMSs in zimbabwe
This is very interesting
My name is James
I am a producer with Ztn prime
I am inviting Mr sengere to a wide ranging interview..were he can be a tech buff
The topic is Starlink comes to Zim
He will chat to Andy Hodges
The show diplomatic passport airs primetime sunday
It was a good day when we left the rip off Liquid for an alternative at a quarter of the price with better bandwidth.
They are reacting as stated in other comments and deserve to be challenged like dstv was.
Starlink bhoraaa!!!!
Starlink bhoraaa!!!
Pakaipa mukoma. (the situation is too tense bro)
Dope rawira muupfu, toguke meno. Huhuhuhu
Mujaya lol
Mujaya lol
Liquid Telecom would have not improved. Their strategy is to take clients and not improve. So it’s better to go for star link if all is level
Looks like Starlink will now roll out a plan
for payment in installments
https://www.pcmag.com/news/spacex-to-let-you-pay-for-starlink-satellite-dishes-in-monthly-installments
The Econet group companies (Econet, Liquid) have over the years gained sympathy from customers based on their perceived mistreatment from the Government. They have used this to their advantage and made enormous profits through dubious means (tariffs approvals by manipulating regulators, blocking foreign license applications, disappearing data, externalizing foreign currencies through foreign related party transactions). They have been the biggest gainer of the currency upheavals and other issues in Zimbabwe such that they don’t have any meaningful competition. Their Zimbabwe group companies are their biggest cash cows and the most profitable which funds their expansion in other countries and sustains their management who are running the operations here remotely from foreign countries. Their local business practices are at best manipulative and at worst predatory. Ask anyone who has dealt with them. The way the Starlink deal was handled is not ideal, but the way these companies have ripped off Zimbabweans is no better than the political elites we complain about. At least you know politicians are like that, but these companies have pretended to be on your side. Wolf in sheeps clothing claiming to be guided by Christian values!
Should their local operations become less profitable, their operations in other countries won’t be able to expand, maybe even sustain. That threatens their group. This is why expect them to fight. Expect them to offer sweeteners. But their charges have a long way to drop. They have got too used to super profits.
Simple calculations show that anyone who is paying even $90/month (plus the $150 to $200 paid for the intial installation) can easily afford Starlink for $650 plus $38/month, paid off in a year. Should you look at this pay back over a longer period, then it’s even more attractive. And they can take the kit with them when they travel within the country including visiting friends and relatives. Cluster housing can install one unit and share the connection wirelessly. And it’s all unlimited data!
SpaceX and Starlink are colossal companies in terms of access to technology and finance. They can make seismic differences in any markets they choose to operate in. Starlink are fully aware that Africa is underserved. Possibly more undeserved than rural areas of developed countries. They know it’s a big market to serve. So expect them to offer lower kit prices (like they have done in Nigeria and other countries in Africa), financing options through local institutions, lower kit prices if you pay months in advance, refurbished kits at lower prices (these will be kits from developed countries who would have upgraded their kits), longer validity periods on subscriptions and other incentives while their speed offerings and hopefully their pricing continues to improve. This is finally a chance for African and Zimbabwean talent to be recognized globally through various goods and services they can offer the World. Thanks to a more democratized Internet space! Make your choices wisely!
You put it so eloquently. Couldn’t agree more
Liquid and econet must get a run for its money. Poor, expensive service delivery mis come to an end. Affordable competition is most welcome
Liquid has been overcharging users for years and now as and soon as they have seen the competition coming, they drop their extortionate prices by over 50%. Let them explain that. I can think of any more motivation than that to change to Starlink
Liquid has been overcharging users for years and now as and soon as they have seen the competition coming, they drop their extortionate prices by over 50%. Let them explain that. I can think of any more motivation than that to change to Starlink.
You won’t let me comment but I understand how it must be like being bombarded with negative comments about Liquid.
Love your written English, Leonard!
I pray in the long run liquid will survive, because it will be in a fight for it’s life. Starlink is a 100 pound gorilla. Valuation wise liquid is 640m vs Starlink 73.6 billion estimated.As it’s constellation grows and subscribers grow it’s value continues to grow. It has no limitation to funding as it has not felt the pressure to list. If you are in any this is worst nightmare become real of competitor
How is the digital Tv signal transmitted is there any link with low earth orbiting satelites or starlink?