1 hour ago
29
Place your adverts here on InfoDig @ low rates; banner ads, sponsored links and guest articles etc. Contact us
Elon Musk’s satellite internet service provider, Starlink, may exit Nigeria if the Nigerian Communications Commission (NCC) fails to approve its recent subscription price hike.
On October 1, Starlink announced a price hike for its Nigerian residential users by 97.36% from N38,000 to N75,000. The company also inflated the price of its hardware from N440,000 to N590,000.
The NCC, in response, issued a statement threatening to sanction Starlink for unauthorised tariff hike. But barely hours after, the regulator withdrew the statement, saying “Kindly note this press statement was issued in error. It is hereby withdrawn, if published, kindly bring it down”
Starlink, however, notified its customers on Thursday that it had suspended the tariff increase due to regulatory challenges.
It reads, “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.
“If you’ve already been charged at the higher rate, a one-time credit will be applied to your account to cover the difference. You also have the flexibility to cancel your service at any time.
“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.”
In April, Starlink slashed the price of its hardware by 45% from N800,000 to N440,000. At that time, the monthly subscription price remained unchanged at N38,000.
A month prior, Starlink had increased the hardware price by 112%, from N378,000 to N800,000 — a move believed to be influenced by the declining value of the Naira against the dollar.
