Starlink, the satellite internet company owned by Elon Musk’s SpaceX, has rescinded its recent price increase in Nigeria following intervention from the Nigerian Communications Commission (NCC). Just three weeks after the NCC blocked Starlink’s decision to nearly double its base subscription rates, the satellite provider announced it would revert to its previous pricing. The increase, which was scheduled to take effect on October 31, would have seen monthly fees for the standard residential plan with a 1 TB fair usage policy rise from ₦38,000 (about $24) to ₦75,000 (about $48).
Additionally, Starlink’s local roaming service, which allows users to operate their Starlink kits outside their designated locations within Nigeria, was set to skyrocket to ₦167,000 per month from ₦49,000. Meanwhile, international roaming fees were slated to increase to a steep ₦717,000 per month. These price adjustments, Starlink explained, were intended to reflect inflationary pressures. Elon Musk shared on X (formerly Twitter) that Starlink adjusts its rates globally to account for inflation. However, the NCC’s pricing guidelines mandate that Internet Service Providers (ISPs) operating in Nigeria seek regulatory approval before implementing price changes.
The NCC cited Sections 108 and 111 of the Nigerian Communications Act (NCA), 2003, which require ISPs, including Starlink, to obtain tariff approvals before modifying prices. In an official statement to TechCabal, the NCC emphasized that Starlink’s price hike breached its license terms and communicated to Starlink that failure to roll back the increase would lead to sanctions. This directive aligns with the NCC’s past rejections of data price hikes from other ISPs, underscoring its commitment to ensuring fair pricing in Nigeria’s telecommunications sector.
By reversing the proposed price increase, Starlink has navigated regulatory requirements and underscored the NCC’s active role in overseeing fair pricing practices for internet access in the country.
