The government of Teodoro Obiang Nguema has reached a provisional agreement with Starlink, Elon Musk’s satellite internet company, to introduce its services in Equatorial Guinea exclusively for oil sector companies while negotiations continue, Diario Rombe has learned from sources close to the Equatorial Guinea Telecommunications Regulatory Authority (ORTEL), the government body responsible for overseeing, regulating, and controlling the telecommunications and information technology sector in the country.
According to authorities, this decision “does not threaten state security” as these companies will operate under strict government supervision. However, the regime uses this argument not only to justify the exclusion of Equatoguinean citizens, who it accuses of potentially using Starlink to “destabilize the country,” but also as a means of generating revenue. Diario Rombe has learned that ORTEL has imposed restrictive conditions that prevent most of the population from accessing Starlink.
Private individuals, regardless of their social standing, and private companies will not be able to apply for authorizations directly, at least for now. Only internet service providers, mostly controlled by family members of the dictator, will be authorized to manage applications and installations. Furthermore, any individual user wishing to access Starlink will need prior authorization from the Ministry of National Security and the Ministry of Transport, further tightening control over connectivity.
Led by Vicente Nze Elomba, brother of Leoncio Amada Nze Nlang and Pamela Nze Eworo, children of Agustín Nze Nfumu, one of the regime’s main kleptocrats, ORTEL does not function as an independent regulator promoting competition or universal access, but rather as a repressive instrument serving the dictatorship. Although Starlink has the potential to transform telecommunications by providing high-speed internet to remote areas, its implementation in the country will be fully subordinated to the regime’s interests. Before negotiations began, the Ministry of Transport, Telecommunications, and Artificial Intelligence Systems, led by Honorato Evita Oma, threatened to sanction Starlink, demanding that its technology comply with the directives of the state censorship apparatus.
This narrative reflects the dictatorship’s paranoia, which fears that free access to the internet could enable the population to organize, expose the regime’s abuses, and access uncensored information. While neighboring countries like Cameroon, Gabon, and Congo facilitate access to Starlink through affordable costs and less restrictive policies, Equatorial Guinea stands as a unique case of technological repression. The imposed restrictions not only reflect unfounded fear but also a calculated strategy to keep the population in a state of digital isolation.
Isolation as a tool of control
While other dictatorships allow some degree of access to Starlink to improve their international image or benefit strategic sectors, the Obiang regime uses the technology solely to protect its interests. Informational isolation becomes a tool to perpetuate fear and disinformation among the population, preventing citizens from accessing alternative information or contacting the outside world.
Honorato Evita Oma, Minister of Transport, Telecommunications, and Artificial Intelligence Systems, has been the main driver of these restrictions. He was the one who presented Teodorín Nguema Obiang with the need to strictly pursue and control the use of Starlink, ensuring that any attempt to democratize internet access would be quickly neutralized. Rather than allowing Starlink to become a tool for connecting rural or marginalized communities, the regime prefers to consolidate its control over telecommunications, limiting any flow of information not approved by the state.
Prohibitive Tariffs
In contrast to other Central African dictatorships such as Cameroon, Gabon, or even the Democratic Republic of Congo, where Starlink already operates without restrictions, the Obiang regime imposes costs and restrictions designed to keep its population isolated from the outside world. In Cameroon, Gabon, and Congo, the average monthly price for Starlink service is around $110-120 USD, with an initial equipment cost close to $600 USD. While these prices are high for the average citizen, they allow more people and communities to access satellite internet, mitigating censorship in certain rural or isolated areas.
In contrast, in Equatorial Guinea, ORTEL has temporarily limited access to two categories of users: oil sector companies and essential services classified as «strategic infrastructures.» The imposed fees are unaffordable for most of the population: 10 million FCFA (approximately $16,000 USD) as an initial fee for obtaining authorization, 10% of the total annual cost as a maintenance fee, 2 million FCFA per month (about $3,200 USD) as a station usage fee, plus additional costs for file evaluation and supervision.
These fees not only make the service inaccessible for most Equatoguineans, but also ensure that only oil companies and elites connected to the regime have access to this technology. This system is not aimed at promoting universal internet access, but rather at ensuring that information and connectivity remain under the regime’s total control.
ORTEL has recommended that, until Starlink obtains official authorization, its use be strictly limited to the oil sector. This confirms that the regime seeks to maintain restricted access for a privileged elite and continue to monopolize control over communications. This policy of isolation not only marginalizes Equatorial Guinea from technological progress, but also deepens the digital and cultural divide with the rest of the world. Neighboring countries with equally repressive regimes are at least recognizing the economic and social potential of broader internet access. In contrast, the Obiang regime’s strategy prioritizes its political survival over any consideration of development, leaving its population trapped in a state of deliberate disconnection.
