If you were one of those folks who purchased a Starlink unit from one of the few African countries where the service is allowed, you’re likely to have an unpleasant time in the next few weeks. The company has sent an email to users based in Africa informing them that their service is about to be limited.
“If you are operating your Starlink Kit in an area other than areas designated as ‘Available’ on the Starlink Availability Map, we would like to remind you that this is in violation of the Starlink Terms,” reads part of the email sent to affected customers. The solution? Head back to where Starlink is officially allowed to operate.
Starlink in the chain
Users operating a Starlink unit in areas that still lack regulatory approval for operations will see their access to the internet restricted from 30 April this year. It’ll still be possible to contact the Starlink service to make account changes, hopefully to clear this mess up, but those using the mobile internet solution outside of permitting countries will have little recourse.
Users were making use of Starlink Roam, a feature that allowed the base station to be transported outside of its normal area of operations and remain functional, to sidestep slow regulators. That’s no longer an option.
“If you have been using a ‘Mobile – Regional’ plan for more than two months outside of the country in which you ordered Starlink, you must either see Support FAQs to change your account country or return to the country in which your service was ordered. Otherwise, your service will be restricted.”
This means that South Africans who purchased a Starlink unit from Malawi, Mozambique, Zambia, or Eswatini will see their access come to an end until the service officially begins operations in this country. The same applies if those units were sources from Rwanda, Kenya, or Nigeria, the only other countries where the satellite internet service is allowed to operate.