Starlink

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The use of <a target="_blank" href="http://www.starlink.com" rel="noreferrer noopener">Starlink</a>’s roaming service as a permanent internet connection has taken a difficult turn for South African users. According to a source from the Starlink support agency, South African users can only have access to roaming services after the kits have been used for several months in their country of registration.&nbsp;&nbsp; 
A conversation on local Starlink community groups also has it that for kits to be reset for roaming services, they must have been used in their country of registration for several hours every two months.&nbsp;&nbsp; 
Although the SpaceX satellite service is yet to officially launch in South Africa, some locals have been accessing the roaming service with kits bought from other African countries like Nigeria, Botswana, Zimbabwe, and Kenya.&nbsp; 
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 <img loading="lazy" decoding="async" width="1200" height="800" src="https://technext24.com/wp-content/uploads/2022/12/Starlink-dish.jpeg" alt="Starlink experienced service outage that affected 41,393 users this morning" class="wp-image-172758">
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In Starlink’s terms and conditions for roaming service, it stated that subscription is not intended for use in permanent residential setups or areas where it has not received official regulatory approval.&nbsp; 
It also stated that roaming services can only be employed for up to 60 days. After which a user must connect the kit to the service in their home country or country of registration. This was enforced to prevent customers in rich countries from abusing the cheaper roaming plans.&nbsp; 
Starlink made moves against those who had infringed on this rule more than a year after launching roaming in early 2023. This affected South African users who were cut off from the service. In August 2024, SpaceX also sent another warning to those who fault its rules by threatening a 60-day cutoff. 
<h4 id="starlink-sales-halt-a-potential-blockage-on-south-african-users" class="wp-block-heading">Starlink sales halt – A potential blockage on South African users</h4> 
Following the threat by Starlink, what South African subscribers do is access Starlink in their country of registration every two months. They migrate their account to their nearest or preferred neighbouring country and travel there to reset their service by “phoning home.” Several users have been able to access the roaming service by employing this method.&nbsp; 
In late October 2024, the SpaceX service provider halted sales of its roaming plans in all African countries. Some members of a South African community on Facebook noticed the company had removed African countries from its <a href="https://www.starlink.com/roam" target="_blank" rel="noreferrer noopener">roaming subscription options</a> on Friday, 25 October 2024. 
A brief check on the site shows that African countries where the satellite internet company has formally announced its presence such as Nigeria, Botswana, Zimbabwe, and Kenya are visibly missing from the list of locations where potential users can order. 
<figure class="wp-block-image size-full">
 <img loading="lazy" decoding="async" width="3210" height="1588" src="https://technext24.com/wp-content/uploads/2024/11/Starlink-halts-roaming-across-Africa-amid-tremendous-growth.jpg" alt="Starlink halts roaming across Africa amid tremendous growth" class="wp-image-238884">
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However, an unofficial Starlink kit importer in South Africa, IcasaSePush had told South African publication, <a target="_blank" href="https://mybroadband.co.za/news/broadband/567879-bad-news-for-new-starlink-users-in-south-africa.html" rel="noreferrer noopener">Mybroadband</a> that this had previously happened for a few hours after an update, so it hoped this was just a temporary bug. However, more than a week later, roaming subscriptions are unavailable in Africa. 
The service is marked as “Sold Out” for new residential customers in large cities, including Harare in Zimbabwe, Lusaka in Zambia, Nairobi in Kenya, and Lagos in Nigeria. Customers in these locations have also reported download speeds averaging in the low double-digit Mbps, far below Starlink’s advertised speeds. 
One possible reason for the roaming crackdown in Africa is that users in countries without official support – including South Africa – are saturating logistics capacity and stock in areas where Starlink demand is already high. 
According to Stellar Systems, an authorized Starlink retailer in Zambia, the “misuse” of the roam plans by users in unofficially supported countries may lead to the permanent shutdown of the roaming feature. “We can only hope this is not the case and will update you as soon as we get some feedback from Starlink regarding this,” the company said.&nbsp; 
In recent days, South African users who attempted to reactivate their service by visiting their country of registration have seen their kits reblocked. One user who contacted a Starlink agent explained that he could only gain access to his kit in his country of registration or when travelling abroad. 
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 <img loading="lazy" decoding="async" width="800" height="400" src="https://technext24.com/wp-content/uploads/2023/07/Starlink-in-South-Africa-2.png" alt="Starlink in Kenya" class="wp-image-200689">
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The agent also explained the unavailability of Starlink roaming in Africa was due to traffic. “We have no ETA for when the roaming service will become available again.” 
A source close to the matter told MyBroadband that Starlink would potentially only reopen orders for new roaming subscriptions after establishing a physical presence in Southern Africa. 
Also Read: <a target="_blank" href="https://technext24.com/2024/11/04/starlink-halts-roaming-across-africa/" rel="noreferrer noopener">Starlink halts roaming service across Africa amid tremendous growth</a>.

Access to starlink in South Africa more difficult as kits must also be used in country of registration

Technext.ng

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