Why we suspended subscription price hike — Starlink

Starlink, the satellite internet service owned by billionaire Elon Musk, has announced a temporary suspension of its recent price hike for Nigerian subscribers, attributing the decision to “regulatory challenges.”

Last month, Starlink raised its monthly subscription fee for the standard residential package from N38,000 to N75,000, a 97.37% increase, and hiked its hardware cost from N440,000 to N590,000.

However, following feedback from the Nigerian Communications Commission (NCC), which stated that the company did not obtain regulatory approval for the increase, the company opted to pause the price hike while working through compliance.

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In a message to customers on Thursday, Starlink explained, “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.”

Starlink assured customers who had already paid the higher rate that they would receive a one-time credit to cover the difference. The company also emphasized that customers remain free to cancel their service at any time.

The company added that regulatory support is essential for maintaining high-speed internet service in Nigeria, cautioning that without necessary approvals, service continuity could be jeopardized.

As of now, Starlink’s website reflects a rollback to N38,000 for the residential plan and N50,000 for the mobile regional plan, though the hardware price remains unchanged at N590,000.

NIGERIAN TRIBUNE