Payday, a Kigali-based fintech banking startup, has launched a payment service that will enable Rwandans to pay for Starlink high-speed internet. The neobank’s payment application is now available in beta, meaning that it is not yet publicly available. Nonetheless, some users have already ordered Starlink routers through Payday’s programme – Kigali Beta. However, its management said the full-fledged app will be going public in the coming weeks. Just ordered for Starlink in Kigali, Rwanda using the PayDay Mastercard Thanks to @ourpaydayHQ pic.twitter.com/lQiTNkTJ9a — Ugochukwu Ori (@OriUgochukwu) March 2, 2023 Favour Ori, Payday’s CEO, explained that the team is excited about the opportunity to support internet penetration and diversity of quality affordable broadband service. “A few years ago, I was writing the first lines of code that started the company in my apartment in Kigali, and now, we are supporting efforts to drive access to quality internet service that can also inspire different levels of innovation,” he said. #RwOT - I did it today folks, I ordered @SpaceX's StarLink from #Kigali and @ourpaydayHQ made the payment process seamless Now waiting for the shipment _ Ill share updates when it arrives :-)@Favourori_ and team, you're doing a great job pic.twitter.com/SO9OTYDPTJ — Shema (@shemasteve) March 3, 2023 Starlink, a satellite-based internet venture owned by billionaire Elon Musk’s company SpaceX, started operation in Rwanda on February 22, delivering higher speed and lower latency broadband internet through its network of Low Earth Orbit (LEO) satellites. ALSO READ: Seven things you should know about Starlink high-speed internet in Rwanda To start using Starlink, new subscribers are required to make an initial payment of Rwf620,000 to buy the hardware kit and are offered a 90-day trial. The monthly subscription is Rwf48,000. Ordered for my Starlink Router!!! Thanks to @Favourori_ and the team at @ourpaydayHQ. It was so easy to use @ourpaydayHQ! Swift, easy to use and a virtual card that works!!! https://t.co/CBuywOu6dp pic.twitter.com/qOlOM3NWun — Milton Tutu (@MiltonTutu) March 3, 2023 “When we relaunch in Rwanda, users on our app would be able to directly pay for their devices using any of our virtual Mastercard or Visa Card,” Ori said. “We’ve been helping SpaceX collect payments in Nigeria.” Earlier this year, Payday was listed as one of the payment options for Starlink users in Nigeria, after SpaceX launched the service for the first time in Africa. Rwanda is the first country in the East African region to offer Starlink services. Starlink is expected to cover unserved or underserved villages in urban and suburban areas as well as rural areas, a development that will potentially boost the country’s internet penetration. The Ministry of ICT and Innovation announced that schools are among the first institutions to benefit from the satellite-based internet. The initial plan, officials pointed out, is to pilot it in at least 500 schools. Starlink has more than 2,000 satellites and plans to launch thousands more. The company offers high-speed, low-latency satellite internet service with download speeds between 100 megabits per second and 200 Mbps. The service is available in more than 30 countries, mainly in North America and Europe.
