Starlink reverses price increase in Nigeria three weeks after NCC directive

Starlink, the SpaceX-owned satellite internet company, has reversed its decision to double its base subscription prices in Nigeria three weeks after Nigeria’s communication regulator blocked the increase.

The company increased the standard residential plan with a 1 TB fair usage policy to ₦75,000 ($48) from ₦38,000 ($24). Roaming Starlink customers faced the most significant price hikes; local roaming, which allows customers to use Starlink kits beyond their homes or workplaces within Nigeria, was increased to ₦167,000 per month, up from ₦49,000.

International roaming was raised to ₦717,000 per month.

The new rates were meant to take effect from October 31st.

While Elon Musk posted on X that Starlink’s subscription prices are adjusted for inflation, Nigerian regulators have pricing guidelines for Internet Service Providers (ISP) and have also blocked requests from other internet service providers to increase data prices.

In a statement shared with TechCabal, the regulator said that Starlink did not “receive the approval of the Nigerian Communications Commission (NCC).”

The commission added that Starlink’s action contravened “Sections 108 and 111 of the Nigerian Communications Act (NCA), 2003, and Starlink’s Licence Conditions regarding tariffs.”

It asked Starlink to reverse the price increase or risk sanctions.