From N800,000 down to N440,000: Starlink reviews hardware price for Nigeria

It would now cost N440,000 for a Nigerian to get Starlink hardware and N38,000 for the monthly connection fee, N16,700 for shipping, according to the new price on the company’s official portal as checked by our team on Tuesday, May 7, 2024.

It is the third time the company will be reviewing the price for its Nigerian market. When it was first launched in Nigeria, subscribers paid N268,584 for hardware, N19,260 as a monthly connection fee, and N16,700 for shipping, totalling N304,544.

When Naira crashed against the US dollar, it was reviewed to reflect the new reality thus: hardware for N800,000, Monthly connection fee for N38,000; Shipping for N16,700, making N854,700 in all.

According to reports, the inflated price is due to the Naira devaluation. The Naira has been unstable since the floating of the local currency in 2023.

How to order it

• Use the link https://www.starlink.com/map to access the order page and map
• Input Nigeria in the search bar and click the ‘search button
• For my use, I searched Osogbo, Osun State, and I got the result: “Starlink is currently available in your area! Customers in your region typically see download speeds of 50-200 Mbps.”
• Click the “order now” button to get the hardware
• Fill in your contact and billing information
• Enter the OTP and submit
• Make payment
• Your hardware will be shipped to your billing address

Note: You can also use the search button to know if it is available in your area. To do this, narrow your search by specifically inputting your town or village and the state and hit the search button.

Here are the basics you need to place an order:

• NIN
• Billing address
• Debit card
• Contact information
• Billing information including your debit card number
• Your name as it appears on your credit card

Modes of payment

There are two options to make payment:

1. Dollar debit Card
2. PayDay Virtual Card which can be funded with your Naira Debit Card.

You may not be able to use your Naira card directly to place an order due to restrictions by the Central Bank of Nigeria.

Earlier reduction in the subscription fee

As the satellite router went live in Nigeria on January 30, 2023, the quoted currency was changed from USD to Naira and the price was slashed from NGN461,390 to NGN287,844 (for the first-time subscribers) excluding the shipping fee.

Operational Licence in Nigeria

On May 27, 2022, SpaceX, the operator of Starlink received an ISP licence from the Nigerian Communications Commission (NCC).

It was also announced that the subscription for the new entrant would be in the US dollar which was pegged at $600 (NGN430,000 at NGN730/USD at parallel market rate) for hardware and $43 USD (NGN31,390) for the monthly subscription, totalling NGN461,390 for a first-timer.

Its Penetration into Nigeria

There had been discussions that SpaceX was planning to penetrate Nigeria’s telecommunication market and on Thursday, May 6, 2021, a team of SpaceX arrived in Abuja, Nigeria.

On SpaceX’s team was SpaceX’s Starlink Market Access Director for Africa, Ryan Goodnight; Consultant to SpaceX, Levin Born.

On the side of the government were the Executive Commissioner, Technical Services at NCC, Ubale Maska; Director of Spectrum Administration of the NCC, Oluwatoyin Asaju; and Executive Commissioner, Stakeholder Management, Adeleke Adewolu

Maska who represented the Executive Vice Chairman (EVC) of NCC, Prof Umar Danbatta, said, “As the regulator of a highly dynamic sector in Nigeria, the Commission is conscious of the need to ensure that our regulatory actions are anchored on national interest.

NCC assured SpaceX that it would review the interest of the company in Nigeria’s company vis-à-vis NCC’s regulatory direction “of ensuring effective and a sustainable telecoms ecosystem where a licensee’s operational model does not dampen healthy competition among other licensees”.

By May 27, 2022, the result of the meeting between the company and NCC officials yielded the desired result as the satellite internet constellation got two operating licenses from the Nigerian government through the regulatory agency NCC.

NCC is one of the agencies of Nigeria’s Ministry of Communications and Digital Economy.

Infomediang.com confirmed that the company got two licences from the NCC:

1. the international gateway licence for 10 years and
2. Internet Service Provider (ISP) licence for a 5-year duration

Both licenses in Nigeria take effect from May 2022 and may be renewed after the expiration.

Requirements to order in Nigeria

Wondering what you need to place an order?

Here are the basics you need to place an order:

• NIN
• Billing address
• Debit card
• Contact information
• Billing information including your debit card number
• Your name as it appears on your credit card

Components of the package

In the kit, you will find everything you need to set it up at home or the office. The kid includes:

• Starlink
• Wifi router
• Base
• Cable
• AC cable
• Mounts and accessories
• Resources

To set up the kit, kindly visit the setup guide for more.

Its Download speed

In Nigeria, it’s download speed is between 50 Mbps to 200 Mbps (Megabits per second).

Download speed for business customers in the United States is between  40 to 220 Mbps, while standard customers on its fixed Internet plans enjoy between 20-100 Mbps speeds, according to notebookcheck.net

So, it is safe to say location determines the download speed, however, its speed is faster than the conventional ones you can find around.

Conclusion:

While there are concerns over how many Nigerians would be able to afford Starlink, the incredible speed is a sign that it is worth the money.

A crypto enthusiast simply known as B. Ejiro @ejibaz on Twitter confirmed Starlink speed saying,

“Haven’t gotten the same speeds as seen on the internet though!. The service is nothing short of awesome.”

@ejibaz

It may be expensive for the middle class, but it’s going to put other internet providers like MTN, Glo, 9mobile, and Airtel on their toes in terms of network coverage as it continues to gain popularity among Nigerians who are concerned about their internet speed.

References:

• Featured image by @ejibaz