A recent announcement from SpaceX-operated broadband service Starlink has informed its users in South Africa that their connections will be switched off at the end of April 2024.
The email was sent to all South African users of its roaming service, notifying them that they will have to access the service in an area where Starlink is officially available from the end of the month. The move is aimed at ensuring that regional and global roaming plans are used for temporary travel and transit and not for permanent use in locations outside officially launched areas.
Users who have been using Starlink’s roaming plan for more than two months outside of the country where they ordered the service will have to either change their account country or “return to base” to avoid restricting their service. The company had previously announced that those with a roaming subscription would have to access their service in their home registered country every two months to keep it active. However, it had not enforced this rule for over a year.
In addition, Starlink has warned users that operating a Starlink kit in an area other than areas designated as ‘Available’ on the Starlink Availability Map violated the Starlink Terms. Starting from April 30, 2024, users will be unable to connect to the internet except to access their Starlink account, where they can make updates to their account. However, this restriction does not apply in areas designated as ‘Available’ on the Starlink Availability Map.
Some South African Starlink users have suggested that this move would lead to a market of people willing to offer a paid service to transport the kits to officially supported neighbouring countries like Eswatini and Mozambique for the two-month “check-in.” However, it seems that Starlink would not allow access to its roaming plans in countries where they are not yet available.
It is also unclear whether the Independent Communications Authority of South Africa (Icasa) requested that Starlink switch off coverage in South Africa. In an official notice published by the Government Gazette in November 2023, Icasa said that Starlink had not applied for the required telecommunications and radiofrequency spectrum licenses to operate in South Africa.
Starlink has said it is working as quickly as possible to obtain regulatory approvals from local governments globally to offer Starlink services in as many places as possible. It has also encouraged users to advocate for Starlink to be approved in a given country by contacting their communications, technology regulator, and Ministry of Communications.
