Starlink, a satellite internet service owned by the richest man in the world, Elon Musk, has temporarily suspended the increase in the monthly subscription for its Nigerian subscribers. The company stated that the price increase would be put on hold to address regulatory challenges.
The company said, “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. We remain committed to providing high-speed internet in Nigeria, but we need regulatory support to make the improvements necessary for a better customer experience.
“Without these approvals, our ability to continue delivering service is at risk.
“Thank you for choosing Starlink and supporting our mission to bring affordable, high-speed internet to more people as many people around the world as possible.”
Recall that about a month ago, Vigil360 reported that the company increased its monthly subscription fee from N38,000 to N75,000 per month and it also increased its installation kit for new users to N590,000 from N440,000. A recent visit to the website by Vigil360 showed that the monthly subscription cost has been reversed to N38,000 per month but the cost of the installation kit is still at N590,000.
In response to the increase, the Nigerian Communications Commission (NCC) had issued a statement that the company did not receive approval from the Commission before reviewing its subscription fee.
However, the NCC later withdrew its statement saying, “Kindly note that this press statement on Starlink was issued in error. It is hereby withdrawn. If already published, kindly bring down.”
More details later.