After more than half a year of halting new customer registrations due to overwhelming demand and bandwidth limits, SpaceX’s satellite internet service Starlink has reopened its subscription portal in key African markets including Nairobi, Lusaka, and Accra.
The move signals recent infrastructure upgrades aimed at easing capacity constraints, though service remains restricted in major hubs like Lagos and Abuja as demand continues to outpace supply.
Sign-up portal reopens amid capacity upgrades
Users in parts of Ghana, Zambia, Nigeria, Kenya, and Zimbabwe have reported that the sign-up portal is now open again, allowing new customers to subscribe in cities like Nairobi and its suburbs, Lusaka, Kano, Port Harcourt, Warri, and Accra.
However, access issues persist in Harare, Lagos, and Abuja, where new subscriptions remain unavailable.
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Starlink initially suspended new user registrations in November 2024 after reaching its network capacity in several African cities, citing excessive demand and bandwidth limitations as reasons for the freeze.
“Too many users are trying to access the Starlink service… and there isn’t enough bandwidth to support additional customers,” the company said in its notice.
Regional restrictions persist
The “sold-out” notice on Starlink’s website has since been removed for several previously blocked cities, indicating that new users can now sign up in these areas.
However, cities like Abuja, Lagos, and Harare remain under capacity restrictions, keeping the subscription ban in place.
The reopening suggests that Starlink has upgraded its infrastructure in these locations to accommodate more users and reduce network congestion.
Yet, the continued restrictions in some urban centres highlight ongoing bandwidth challenges across the continent.
Regulatory hurdles complicate expansion
Earlier, in November 2024, Starlink halted the sale of its kits in several African countries including Nigeria, Malawi, Zimbabwe, and a few others.
In Nigeria, this followed a regulatory intervention where the Nigerian Communications Commission (NCC) reversed a Starlink price increase, ruling that the company had not received approval for the hike.
“We’re committed to providing high-speed internet in Nigeria and are working closely with regulators to make adjustments that will improve the customer experience,” Starlink Nigeria stated in a message to prospective customers last year. “Until these changes are approved, we are placing new residential orders on hold.”
Similarly, in Malawi, Starlink’s suspension came after the Malawi Communications Regulatory Authority (MACRA) rejected a proposed subscription fee increase aimed at offsetting the depreciated Malawian Kwacha.
Suspension of Starlink’s kit
Techpression reported in November 2024 that Starlink halted the sale of its kits in some key cities in African countries, such as Nigeria, Malawi, Zimbabwe, and a few others.
The halt in Nigeria came after the Nigerian Communications Commission (NCC) reversed Starlink’s price hike, asserting that Starlink never received a go-ahead to change their prices.
“We’re committed to providing high-speed internet in Nigeria and are working closely with regulators to make adjustments that will improve the customer experience,” Starlink Nigeria stated in a message to prospective customers last year. “Until these changes are approved, we are placing new residential orders on hold.”
Similarly, in Malawi, Starlink’s suspension comes after a proposal to raise the subscription fee to reflect the depreciated Malawian Kwacha was rejected by the Malawi Communications Regulatory Authority (MACRA).