Satellite internet provider Starlink has suspended new residential kit orders in several of Nigeria’s busiest cities, citing network congestion.
On the company’s website, prime locations such as Victoria Island, Ikoyi, Lagos Island, Surulere, and Abuja are now marked “Sold Out.” Prospective users in these areas can only join a waitlist by paying a deposit, with service resuming once additional capacity becomes available.
In some areas in Lagos, for instance, a new subscription attempt returned the message: “Starlink service is currently at capacity in your area. However, you can place a deposit now to reserve your spot on the waitlist and receive a notification as soon as service becomes available again.”
This marks the second major disruption to Starlink’s rollout in Nigeria. In November 2024, the company halted nationwide sales for eight months, blaming limited bandwidth and pending regulatory approvals from the Nigerian Communications Commission (NCC). Orders only resumed in June 2025 after upgrades and clearance from regulators.
The capacity freeze comes amid growing unease over Starlink’s pricing in Nigeria.
Since its entry, monthly subscriptions have jumped from about ₦38,000 ($25) to ₦56,000 ($37) in 2025, with hardware costs also climbing. The company attributed the hikes to naira devaluation, operational expenses, and NCC’s compliance requirements.
The backlash was swift. Many subscribers already squeezed by inflation and rising living costs scaled back usage or abandoned the service for cheaper alternatives. NCC data shows Starlink’s active Nigerian users fell from 65,564 in Q4 2024 to 59,509 in Q1 2025, its first subscriber decline since launch. That represents a loss of more than 6,000 users, or about 9%.
Analysts say the dual challenge of high tariffs and service restrictions could slow Starlink’s growth in one of Africa’s biggest internet markets. “Nigerians embraced Starlink as a premium solution to unreliable broadband, but the combination of steep fees and service pauses risks alienating its core customer base,” one Lagos-based telecoms analyst noted.
For Starlink, balancing service quality with affordability in Nigeria remains a tightrope act. Each pause preserves network stability but chips away at customer confidence.
With rising demand for high-speed internet across Lagos and Abuja, industry watchers expect further satellite launches and negotiations with NCC as the company seeks to ease congestion and regain momentum.
But for now, thousands of would-be subscribers in Nigeria’s biggest cities will have to wait in line, watching closely to see if Starlink can deliver on its promise of consistent, borderless internet access.
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