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> Kenyan telecoms have also raised concerns about Starlink taking market share away from local companies that employ thousands of people on the African continen

> Kenyan telecoms have also raised concerns about Starlink taking market share away from local companies that employ thousands of people on the African continent. The point of infrastructure is to deliver services which enable productivity and quality of life for the broader population. Public services are not a jobs program. I will continue screaming this into the void until I turn transform into a pickle.

throwaway48476 2y ago
Africa is a graveyard of infrastructure.
- causi 2y ago
  It's all so tiresome.
kstrauser 2y ago
I've gotta agree on this. That's a bummer for the thousands of people working with hyper-expensive providers. It might not even be those providers' faults: it's probably not cheap being the first company to run infrastructure into less developed areas. And yet, should we hold down the millions of people who want affordable Internet access because of it? I don't think so. Edit: And for transparency, I'm about as far from a Musk fan as it's possible to be. I'm not saying this because it's him doing it. I'm glad someone is, and if happens to be him, fine, so be it.
mschuster91 2y ago
> Public services are not a jobs program. Indeed but wealth extraction from already piss poor countries by artificially dumping prices that cannot be sustained by domestic industry has been a problem with Africa for decades, and that after centuries of colonialism on top of it. Africa used to have a vibrant textile and agricultural industry - Simbabwe for example was known until two, three decades ago as the "grain chamber of Africa" - but Western "donations" aka mitumba and "aid" programs completely wiped out the domestic industry, leaving many countries that were self-sufficient now utterly dependant on foreign supply.
- asdasdsddd 2y ago
  Lmao its definitely not because they kicked out all the white farmers and indian small business owners right?
- flerchin 2y ago
  That's interesting. We are taught that Zimbabwe's farming collapse was due to government appropriation from folks with European heritage to folks with African heritage.
  - throwaway48476 2y ago
    Because you're ignoring the order of events.
- rad_gruchalski 2y ago
  Here’s some lecture for you: https://en.m.wikipedia.org/wiki/Robert_Mugabe https://en.m.wikipedia.org/wiki/Robert_Mugabe.
- sealeck 2y ago
  > Indeed but wealth extraction from already piss poor countries by artificially dumping prices that cannot be sustained by domestic industry has been a problem with Africa for decades, and that after centuries of colonialism on top of it. You also need to work out what is happening with the money that is saved. Sure, people working for the local ISP are probably out of a job, but more people can access the internet at much more reasonable rates. This boosts the economy; probably more than the local ISP did!
betaby 2y ago
> Public services are not a jobs program. It definitely feels like a one in Canada (or France).
zerotolerance 2y ago
There is a lot of idealism wrapped up in this statement and just because we think something should be does not make it truth.

throwaway48476 2y ago

Africa is a graveyard of infrastructure.

causi 2y ago
It's all so tiresome.

kstrauser 2y ago

I've gotta agree on this. That's a bummer for the thousands of people working with hyper-expensive providers. It might not even be those providers' faults: it's probably not cheap being the first company to run infrastructure into less developed areas. And yet, should we hold down the millions of people who want affordable Internet access because of it? I don't think so. Edit: And for transparency, I'm about as far from a Musk fan as it's possible to be. I'm not saying this because it's him doing it. I'm glad someone is, and if happens to be him, fine, so be it.

mschuster91 2y ago

> Public services are not a jobs program. Indeed but wealth extraction from already piss poor countries by artificially dumping prices that cannot be sustained by domestic industry has been a problem with Africa for decades, and that after centuries of colonialism on top of it. Africa used to have a vibrant textile and agricultural industry - Simbabwe for example was known until two, three decades ago as the "grain chamber of Africa" - but Western "donations" aka mitumba and "aid" programs completely wiped out the domestic industry, leaving many countries that were self-sufficient now utterly dependant on foreign supply.

asdasdsddd 2y ago
Lmao its definitely not because they kicked out all the white farmers and indian small business owners right?
flerchin 2y ago
That's interesting. We are taught that Zimbabwe's farming collapse was due to government appropriation from folks with European heritage to folks with African heritage.
- throwaway48476 2y ago
  Because you're ignoring the order of events.
rad_gruchalski 2y ago
Here’s some lecture for you: https://en.m.wikipedia.org/wiki/Robert_Mugabe https://en.m.wikipedia.org/wiki/Robert_Mugabe.
sealeck 2y ago
> Indeed but wealth extraction from already piss poor countries by artificially dumping prices that cannot be sustained by domestic industry has been a problem with Africa for decades, and that after centuries of colonialism on top of it. You also need to work out what is happening with the money that is saved. Sure, people working for the local ISP are probably out of a job, but more people can access the internet at much more reasonable rates. This boosts the economy; probably more than the local ISP did!

betaby 2y ago

> Public services are not a jobs program. It definitely feels like a one in Canada (or France).

zerotolerance 2y ago

There is a lot of idealism wrapped up in this statement and just because we think something should be does not make it truth.