Blog #Space

It’s no secret that your ISP can throttle your speed by prioritizing other users when the usage is in peak demand. We have seen this subtly done by Econet, Telone and Netone but to really understand this concept take a look a closer look at StarLink, they openly do it and they actually explain the concept explicitly in the data plans. Well even WiFi connections also do this kind of thing, that’s why you see sometimes your internet speed is insanely fast but sometimes it’s very slow but on the same plan. This prioritization is often given to subscribers paying more but what if i tell you that you can get more speed out of your current internet plan and equipment by optimizing your setup. So here’s how.

Mobile satellite connectivity enables a smartphones to establish a connection with a satellite network, providing communication in areas without cellular coverage similarly to what Space X is doing with StarLink but this time without the Kit as the middleman. With the introduction of the iPhone 14 series in 2022, Apple brought satellite communication to smartphones, allowing users to connect with emergency services via SOS messages even in areas without cellular coverage. Other smartphone brands, including Google and Samsung, followed, but the technology remained a niche feature available only in select regions and on a limited number of smartphone models but fast forward to 2025 it’s a changed game with it now calls and texts made available not just emergency SOS and more breakthroughs expected later this year. So how does this technology actually works.

November 2022 saw Zimbabwe launch its very first space satellite into obit. This launch was managed by GK Launch Services as part of a commercial rideshare mission, lifting off from the Vostochny Cosmodrome in Russia’s Amur Oblast. Zim plans to launch multiple satellites into orbit this year, including its third earth observation satellite, ZimSat-3, as part of ongoing efforts to harness space technology for national development. Like its predecessors, ZimSat-3 will enhance Zimbabwe’s capabilities in mineral exploration, environmental hazard monitoring, drought prediction and mapping human settlements.