Remember that IMC Communications will be Starlink’s sole partner in Zimbabwe. What does IMC bring to the table in this unlikely marriage? – time will tell.
Anyway, IMC does not exist, or rather, is nearing conception. Let me explain.
For a brief moment, we got access to an undercooked IMC website wherein we found an address. The address happened to be the same as the address for one Wicknell Chivhayo’s company, Intratrek.
However, the address was for the Karigamombe Centre, a 21-storey high-rise building in Harare. It was possible that IMC just happened to be housed in the same building without any direct affiliations or connections to Chivhayo.
We visited Karigamombe, and when asked, the security guards in the foyer did not know which floor IMC was on. In fact, they had never heard those three letters smooshed together like that.
So we decided to try the Intratrek offices and what do you know, that is exactly where IMC is located. Well, it’s more accurate to say, where they will be located.
The friendly and helpful fellas there told us that IMC is yet to be properly set up because Wicknell is away, confirming that Wicknell is indeed the man behind the company.
As regards IMC, all there is for now is a name, which I imagine was just a shelf company less than a week ago.
When Wicknell gets back, decisions like which of the Intratrek offices on their floor will be given over to IMC will be made. I imagine they will ponder what value IMC will bring to the partnership with Starlink then too.
So, we don’t have any details about who their target market is, how much the kits will cost, what kind of monthly plans they will have, what kind of support they will offer and so on…
The embarrassing website
We did get some information on the IMC website before it was withdrawn. You’ll recall it said the Starlink kit will cost $650 and you will pay $38 a month for 50Mbps, $45 for 100Mbps and $85 for 1000Mbps.
Seeing as IMC itself is yet to properly exist, those figures could be inaccurate. The withdrawal of the website merely reinforces our conclusion that, as of now, we are Jon Snows, we know nothing.
They realised the undercooked website was embarrassing, pulled it and told us, “Our website is coming soon. Stay tuned!”
It gets more embarrassing though. Currently, the website is loading, but upon reaching the landing page, it appears that the website has reverted to the original template that IMC was attempting to modify.
See how it now advertises the services of some software engineers who are probably responsible for the template.
What’s strange is that there is now another IMC (Immigration Team Consulting) referenced on the website. What is going on with this domain name?
Glass half full
One can’t help but wonder how this company which doesn’t technically exist, does not have offices, a website or a social media presence happened to secure a partnership with Starlink as the sole distributor/reseller.
Scratch that, one doesn’t wonder, one knows exactly how that came to be. However, I choose to dwell on the positives. The licensing of Starlink is a good thing for the country, even as Liquid counters with OneWeb.
Who drank half the juice? For my peace I will focus on how there is half a glass of juice in front of us. -techzim