Starlink, a satellite internet service owned by Elon Musk, the richest man in the world, has temporarily suspended the increase in the monthly subscription for its Nigerian subscribers.
The development comes nearly one month after the internet provider increased its standard package (residential) monthly subscription to N75,000, from N38,000 per month — an increase of 97.37 percent.
Also, the cost of the hardware was increased from N440,000 to N590,000.
Following the increase, the Nigerian Communications Commission (NCC) said the company did not receive its approval before reviewing its subscription.
According to NCC, it had commenced a pre-enforcement action on Starlink.
In a notice to customers on Thursday, Starlink said it has decided to put the increase on hold due to “regulatory challenges”.
“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,” Starlink said.
“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.”
Also, Chronicle NG observed that on its website, Starlink has reversed its standard residential plan to N38,000, and mobile regional plan to N50,000, from N167,000, but its hardware remained at N590,000.
