Customers roaming with Starlink have received the largest price increase. The price for the Starlink kits, however, has not been changed.
Starlink, the satellite internet company owned by SpaceX, has doubled its base subscription prices in Nigeria, citing soaring inflation in the African country.
“Due to excessive levels of inflation, the Starlink monthly service price will increase,” Starlink told customers in an email seen by TechCabal.
The standard residential plan with a 1 TB fair usage policy will now cost ₦75,000 ($48), up from ₦38,000 ($24).
Customers who use Starlink to roam will face the most significant price hikes; local roaming, which allows customers to use Starlink kits beyond their homes or workplaces within Nigeria, will now cost ₦167,000 per month, up from ₦49,000.
International roaming will cost a ₦717,000 per month.
Existing customers will begin paying these new rates starting October 31st, while new subscribers will be immediately subject to the revised pricing.
Incentives missing in Starlink Nigeria
The Starlink kit in Nigeria remains priced at ₦440,000, and unlike Kenya, there’s no rental option for those unable to pay the full amount. Nigerian customers also don’t have access to a cheaper 50GB plan like the KES 1,300 option available in Kenya.
In Kenya, customers can also buy a more affordable Starlink Mini kit for KES 27,000. While it offers lower speeds of up to 100 Mbps (compared to the standard kit’s 200 Mbps), the monthly subscription is also cheaper at KES 4,000. The standard subscription in Kenya costs KES 6,500.
These incentives are likely a response to increased competition from leading internet service providers such as Safaricom and Jamii Telecommunications. For instance, Safaricom recently increased its speeds to retain customers complaining about slow speeds and high prices.
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