Farmers Can Now Use Starlink To Access Real-Time Data On Soil Moisture, Crop Health, And Weather Patterns – Meaning That They Are More Informed About When To Plant, Irrigate, And Harvest
By Terrence Mwedzi
It is quite refreshing and heartwarming to note that the high-speed internet service SpaceX’s Starlink has been activated in Zimbabwe – at a time when local network providers are struggling to provide us with better internet services.
Their exorbitant data prices are suffocating us. I fervently hope that Starlink services will offer the much-needed solution to the country’s deep-seated internet connectivity problems, especially in remote areas.
It is worrying that citizens, especially the rural folk, have been facing serious network problems for decades.
In contrast, it is time for local internet service providers to adapt or go out of business. They have been shortchanging us for too long. Surely, local network providers have taken us for granted for too long. They have been ripping us off.
If I were the President, I would allow more foreign network providers to invade Zimbabwe to increase competition. In this digital age, competition is healthy.
Yes, LOCAL IS LEKKER but our local network/internet providers are taking us for a ride. Their networks are poor and very slow, yet their data is very expensive – even by world standards – which is bad.
Our concerns to them mean nothing.
Starlink services are a game changer and a long-term solution for the general populace of Zimbabwe, who have been abused by unscrupulous local network providers for far tool long.
The days of slow internet and expensive data costs are likely to be a thing of the past.
We expect the local authorised Starlink resellers to start awareness campaigns – not just in towns, but also in remote areas, because some people still need to know what Starlink really is – and its benefits for the development of not just our marginalised communities – but the country as a whole.
Moving With The Times
It is an open secret that many online jobs will be created along the way; media houses, mining companies, and content creators will not be left behind.
However, the arrival of Elon’s Starlink will likely force cellular network providers such as Econet and NetOne to adjust and improve their way of doing business.
It is quite sad and heart-wrenching in this digital age to note that there are certain areas that still have no network at all.
People will still need mobile networks; it is time for them (local telecom firms) to pull up their socks and install solar-powered cellular towers in remote areas to ensure that every citizen is connected. They too -should move with the times.
Furthermore, It is not untrue that in this digital age, high-speed internet is ideal or significant to a country’s development.
Now local farmers can use Starlink to access real-time data on soil moisture, crop health, weather patterns, etc. This will enable them to make more informed decisions about when to plant, irrigate, and harvest.
With high-speed internet access, farmers can also control game systems, monitor livestock, reduce labor costs, and improve efficiency. I am appealing to all local farmers to take advantage of Starlink internet services to boost agricultural productivity.
Frankly, with high-speed internet, students in remote areas can also access online educational resources and participate in distance learning programmes.
I can safely say that this can improve their access to education because, as a matter of fact, rural students have been lagging behind in many aspects compared to their urban counterparts. In my view, Starlink is indeed a game changer – and a big one for that matter.
We must move with the times. In the same vein, I would like to take this opportunity to thank the Second Republic for giving Starlink a nod to operate in Zimbabwe. To conclude, we are now moving in the right direction.
Terrence Mwedzi is an international award-winning Zimbabwean poet and currently residing in the Eastern Cape, South Africa. He writes to Digital Sunday Express in his own capacity and can be contacted at +27611370088
Email: moontafadzwa263@gmail.com
