Starlink, Elon Musk’s satellite internet service, has announced an increase in its monthly subscription prices across Nigeria, effective immediately for new customers and starting January 27, 2025, for existing users.
The company, in an email to users, said new subscribers will immediately pay the adjusted prices while existing customers will see the changes reflected in their upcoming bills.
“To continue enhancing the Starlink network and provide reliable, high-quality service across Nigeria, we are adjusting our monthly subscription prices,” Starlink said.
“These changes are part of our ongoing commitment to investing in the infrastructure needed to improve your experience with Starlink.”
Under the new pricing structure, the firm said the lowest subscription tier will increase significantly from N38,000 to N75,000 per month.
Starlink said the price of the mobile-regional roam unlimited is now N167,000 while the mobile-global roam service is N717,000.
This is the second time Starlink is increasing its price in Nigeria.
On October 1, the internet provider increased its standard package (residential) monthly subscription to N75,000, from N38,000 per month — an increase of 97.37 percent.
Also, the cost of the Starlink hardware was increased from N440,000 to N590,000.
Following the increase, the Nigerian Communications Commission (NCC) said the company did not receive its approval before reviewing its subscription.
The NCC said it had commenced a pre-enforcement action on Starlink.
“The decision by Starlink to unilaterally review their subscription packages upwards did not receive the approval of the Nigerian Communications Commission.
“The action of the company is in contravention of Sections 108 and 111 of the Nigerian Communications Act, 2003, and Starlink’s License Conditions regarding tariffs. The Commission commenced pre-enforcement action on the licensee on the 3rd of October, 2024”, the statement said.
On October 25, Starlink temporarily suspended the increase in the monthly subscription for its Nigerian subscribers.
“Last month, we increased the monthly service price for Starlink in Nigeria to account for inflation, helping us maintain operations and continue delivering reliable service. Today, we are temporarily suspending this price increase as we navigate regulatory challenges,” the statement reads.
The price adjustment comes at a time Nigerian telecom operators are clamouring for tariff increases but have faced challenges in gaining approval from the regulators.
