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Starlink is coming to Malawi; MACRA director: "Welcome to Malawi, Starlink" Starlink is coming to Malawi; MACRA director: "Welcome to Malawi, Starlink"

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Starlink is coming to Malawi; MACRA director: “Welcome to Malawi, Starlink”

Credit: JC

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Starlink internet is coming to Malawi. The Malawi Communications Regulatory Authority (MACRA) issued a public notice on Friday.

Twitter user @King_Emm_ shared a screenshot of the notice that at its 77th Board meeting held on October 21 in Blantyre, it granted its first-ever high-speed low latency broadband satellite internet service licenses to Starlink Lilongwe Limited, a company owned by SpaceX.

The story of how Starlink is coming to Malawi actually began at World Mobile Congress in Barcelona, Spain, where MACRA executives attended and met with Starlink executives.

MACRA Director General Daud Suleman said that the licenses were issued after Starlink’s successful application and subsequent negotiations that began in February 2022.

Following Starlink’s successful application, MACRA issued Starlink the following three licenses:

  • Network Facilities License
  • Network Services License
  • Application Service License

The licenses are expected to be published in the Government Gazette and will be effective then. Suleman also shared the following statement on LinkedIn:

“In February 2022, whilst attending the World Mobile Congress (WMC) in Barcelona, we chanced a meeting with StarLink executives and our team; myself, Andrew Nyirenda, and Thokozani Chimbe were invited to a quick meeting.”

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“That kicked into motion an exciting journey that, today, the 21st of October 2022, has reached a critical junction, network service license issued by MACRA. It’s been a tough and exciting rollercoaster ride.”

“Our legacy laws and regulations, based on a 2016 act, finds itself in the traditional regulatory corner; innovation ahead of regulatory framework! The delivery and technology being used by StarLink is a challenge to any regulator.”

“StarLink Lilongwe LTD, the Malawian trading entity, had engaged all necessary local authorities and their application before MACRA was evaluated just like any other. Next step is to gazette the licenses and assign the required spectrum, boooom!”

“Connecting the unconnected in Malawi has just jumped on steroids. Buckle up, this will fly fast!”

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“Welcome to Malawi, StarLink.”

In May 2021, Malawi’s Minister of Information, Gospel Kazako, told Parliament that the government was rolling out a new initiative to improve connectivity and accelerate the acquisition of Information and Communications Technology (ICT) skills with a focus on the youth. Malawi’s Connect a School Program would replace another one that had been discontinued.

Kazako also highlighted several channels, including the high cost of installation, which was something that Starlink didn’t have. Kazako noted that Starlink’s installation kit, excluding shipping, was lower than the average cost of internet installation for a corporate client in the nation.

Starlink would be an opportunity to change the telecommunications sector in favor of the poor and digitally marginalized, according to The Nation. This thought is in line with what Elon Musk has said previously about Starlink.

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“Education,” Elon Musk said, “is the path out of poverty and Internet access enables education.” Elon Musk said in September. In July, Elon Musk also spoke of how literacy and access to the internet were important solutions to solving poverty.

“Literacy and access to the internet, I think, are fundamentally helpful. Really, we’ve got to think beyond the United States. There are billions of people who have no internet connectivity at all–nothing. Or it’s like a very low bandwidth and it’s insanely expensive. For many parts of the world, this is the case–billions of people,” Elon Musk said.

Your feedback is essential. If you have any comments or concerns or see a typo, you can email me at johnna@teslarati.com. You can also reach me on Twitter at @JohnnaCrider1.

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Johnna Crider is a Baton Rouge writer covering Tesla, Elon Musk, EVs, and clean energy & supports Tesla's mission. Johnna also interviewed Elon Musk and you can listen here

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Elon Musk

Tesla Full Self-Driving’s newest behavior is the perfect answer to aggressive cars

According to a recent video, it now appears the suite will automatically pull over if there is a tailgater on your bumper, the most ideal solution for when a driver is riding your bumper.

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Credit: Tesla

Tesla Full Self-Driving appears to have a new behavior that is the perfect answer to aggressive drivers.

According to a recent video, it now appears the suite will automatically pull over if there is a tailgater on your bumper, the most ideal solution for when a driver is riding your bumper.

With FSD’s constantly-changing Speed Profiles, it seems as if this solution could help eliminate the need to tinker with driving modes from the person in the driver’s seat. This tends to be one of my biggest complaints from FSD at times.

A video posted on X shows a Tesla on Full Self-Driving pulling over to the shoulder on windy, wet roads after another car seemed to be following it quite aggressively. The car looks to have automatically sensed that the vehicle behind it was in a bit of a hurry, so FSD determined that pulling over and letting it by was the best idea:

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We can see from the clip that there was no human intervention to pull over to the side, as the driver’s hands are stationary and never interfere with the turn signal stalk.

This can be used to override some of the decisions FSD makes, and is a great way to get things back on track if the semi-autonomous functionality tries to do something that is either unneeded or not included in the routing on the in-car Nav.

FSD tends to move over for faster traffic on the interstate when there are multiple lanes. On two-lane highways, it will pass slower cars using the left lane. When faster traffic is behind a Tesla on FSD, the vehicle will move back over to the right lane, the correct behavior in a scenario like this.

Perhaps one of my biggest complaints at times with Full Self-Driving, especially from version to version, is how much tinkering Tesla does with Speed Profiles. One minute, they’re suitable for driving on local roads, the next, they’re either too fast or too slow.

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When they are too slow, most of us just shift up into a faster setting, but at times, even that’s not enough, see below:

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There are times when it feels like it would be suitable for the car to just pull over and let the vehicle that is traveling behind pass. This, at least up until this point, it appears, was something that required human intervention.

Now, it looks like Tesla is trying to get FSD to a point where it just knows that it should probably get out of the way.

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Elon Musk

Tesla Megapack powers $1.1B AI data center project in Brazil

By integrating Tesla’s Megapack systems, the facility will function not only as a major power consumer but also as a grid-supporting asset.

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Credit: Tesla

Tesla’s Megapack battery systems will be deployed as part of a 400MW AI data center campus in Uberlândia, Brazil. The initiative is described as one of Latin America’s largest AI infrastructure projects.

The project is being led by RT-One, which confirmed that the facility will integrate Tesla Megapack battery energy storage systems (BESS) as part of a broader industrial alliance that includes Hitachi Energy, Siemens, ABB, HIMOINSA, and Schneider Electric. The project is backed by more than R$6 billion (approximately $1.1 billion) in private capital.

According to RT-One, the data center is designed to operate on 100% renewable energy while also reinforcing regional grid stability.

“Brazil generates abundant energy, particularly from renewable sources such as solar and wind. However, high renewable penetration can create grid stability challenges,” RT-One President Fernando Palamone noted in a post on LinkedIn. “Managing this imbalance is one of the country’s growing infrastructure priorities.”

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By integrating Tesla’s Megapack systems, the facility will function not only as a major power consumer but also as a grid-supporting asset.

“The facility will be capable of absorbing excess electricity when supply is high and providing stabilization services when the grid requires additional support. This approach enhances resilience, improves reliability, and contributes to a more efficient use of renewable generation,” Palamone added.

The model mirrors approaches used in energy-intensive regions such as California and Texas, where large battery systems help manage fluctuations tied to renewable energy generation.

The RT-One President recently visited Tesla’s Megafactory in Lathrop, California, where Megapacks are produced, as part of establishing the partnership. He thanked the Tesla team, including Marcel Dall Pai, Nicholas Reale, and Sean Jones, for supporting the collaboration in his LinkedIn post.

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Starlink powers Europe’s first satellite-to-phone service with O2 partnership

The service initially supports text messaging along with apps such as WhatsApp, Facebook Messenger, Google Maps and weather tools.

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Credit: SpaceX

Starlink is now powering Europe’s first commercial satellite-to-smartphone service, as Virgin Media O2 launches a space-based mobile data offering across the UK.

The new O2 Satellite service uses Starlink’s low-Earth orbit network to connect regular smartphones in areas without terrestrial coverage, expanding O2’s reach from 89% to 95% of Britain’s landmass.

Under the rollout, compatible Samsung devices automatically connect to Starlink satellites when users move beyond traditional mobile coverage, according to Reuters.

The service initially supports text messaging along with apps such as WhatsApp, Facebook Messenger, Google Maps and weather tools. O2 is pricing the add-on at £3 per month.

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By leveraging Starlink’s satellite infrastructure, O2 can deliver connectivity in remote and rural regions without building additional ground towers. The move represents another step in Starlink’s push beyond fixed broadband and into direct-to-device mobile services.

Virgin Media O2 chief executive Lutz Schuler shared his thoughts about the Starlink partnership. “By launching O2 Satellite, we’ve become the first operator in Europe to launch a space-based mobile data service that, overnight, has brought new mobile coverage to an area around two-thirds the size of Wales for the first time,” he said.

Satellite-based mobile connectivity is gaining traction globally. In the U.S., T-Mobile has launched a similar satellite-to-cell offering. Meanwhile, Vodafone has conducted satellite video call tests through its partnership with AST SpaceMobile last year.

For Starlink, the O2 agreement highlights how its network is increasingly being integrated into national telecom systems, enabling standard smartphones to connect directly to satellites without specialized hardware.

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