Kehinde Fajobi
The Nigerian Communications Commission (NCC) has retracted its earlier press release regarding Starlink, the satellite internet provider.
On Tuesday, the NCC issued a statement to media outlets clarifying that the initial announcement, which discussed enforcement actions against Starlink for raising prices, was released in error.
“Please note that this press statement concerning Starlink was issued by mistake. It is hereby WITHDRAWN. If it has already been published, please REMOVE it,” stated Kunle Azeez, NCC’s Manager of Media Relations.
This follows comments by Reuben Muoka, NCC’s Director of Public Affairs, who had suggested that the commission intended to penalize Starlink for increasing its subscription fees in Nigeria without the required regulatory approval.
Last week, Starlink notified its customers of a price hike, with monthly fees soaring by 97%, from ₦38,000 to ₦75,000. Additionally, the price of the necessary installation hardware (the Starlink kit) was raised by 34%, from ₦440,000 to ₦590,000.
Muoka expressed that the NCC was “surprised” by these price changes, which were not authorized by the commission, even though Starlink had submitted a request for a price review that was still under consideration.
