Starlink Services Now Live in Nigeria For Dollar Card Owners
- The satellite internet services provided by Elon Musk’s Starlink is now available in Nigeria
- Users who ordered the services said they are enjoying excellent internet service
- They also described how they obtained the hardware and the mode of payment
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The much-touted Starlink Internet service is now live in Nigeria as subscribers who pre-ordered the firm's hardware have started using the high-speed internet via satellite.
Reports say subscribers can only pay for the service using dollar cards.
Source: Getty Images
Not yet available for naira card holders
The development means due to the suspension of international transactions for naira cards by banks in Nigeria, many Nigerians who aspire to use the service by paying for it with their naira cards can not, since the company does not have a physical presence in the country.
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Previous reports said the Elon Musk-owned SpaceX provides internet services that cost $600 for hardware tokens (about N438,000) and $43 for a monthly subscription ( about N31,000).
The restriction puts Nigerians with dollar cards at an advantage to access th Starlink Internet service.
User describes experience
A Starlink user from Abeokuta, Ogun state said despite the remoteness of his area he was able to get fast internet.
According to him, he pre-ordered the company’s hardware in October 2022 and received it in December, and had about 20Mbps in his first usage.
The user, known as Gbadebo Bello, said on Twitter that he now has about 240Mbps when he uses the service.
He said:
“I’m testing from Abeokuta, Ogun State where I’ve struggled greatly with subpar Internet. Even hubs here don’t have the internet bit figured out yet, so it’s a big deal to me that I’m able to get above 200Mbps.
He said he pre-ordered the hardware via his dollar card as he could not do so using a naira card.
How Starlink operates
SpaceX's Starlink is up against rivals such as Spectranet, Smile and over 200 internet service providers in Nigeria.
The company will also contend with telecommunication operators in Nigeria which offer internet services to their subscribers.
SpaceX operates Starlink via satellite using over 2,000 satellites launched into Earth’s low orbit.
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Recall that Legit.ng reported that as Nigerians brace for the entry of Elon Musk’s Starlink into ISP space in the country, competition in the sector is getting stiffer.
The recent competition in the industry has seen a crash in the cost of the service in the country with many providers jostling for pockets of Nigerians.
Many of the service providers in Nigeria depend heavily on subscription models and their services are geared towards meeting the needs of corporate clients.
Source: Legit.ng
