Association of Telecommunications Companies of Nigeria (ATCON) is reportedly demanding a full review of Starlink’s operations in the country after the LEO satellite operator jacked up its prices without regulatory approval.

Last week, according to media reports, Starlink sent a message to its customers in Nigeria saying it will almost double its monthly subscription fee from N38,000 ($23.40) to N75,000, citing excessive inflation.

The message also said Starlink will raise the cost of its terminal kit from N440,000 to N590,000.

Meanwhile, the cost of its regional roaming plan (which allows customers to use terminal kits anywhere in Nigeria rather than a fixed location) will increase from NGN49,000 to NGN167,000.

Reuben Muoka, director of public affairs for the Nigerian Communications Commission (NCC), said that while Starlink did file a request with the NCC to raise its tariffs, the commission has not yet given official approval.

The NCC also issued a statement saying it would sanction Starlink over the matter, although it retracted the statement later the same day, saying it was “issued in error”.

That said, Starlink could still face disciplinary action, as the Nigerian Communications Act (NCA) 2003 specifically requires telecoms operators to obtain prior approval from the NCC before adjusting any tariffs.

While Starlink said existing customers would not have to pay the adjusted tariffs until October 31 – theoretically giving the NCC time to grant approval – new customers signed on before then would be charged according to the new pricing scheme.

Tony Emoekpere, president, ATCON issued a statement urging the NCC to take action, complaining that Starlink’s unauthorised price hike is unfair to local operators who must follow the same regulations.

Emoekpere also said Starlink’s pricing model creates an uneven playing field because it’s tied to international benchmarks.

“Competing with foreign entities that benchmark against the dollar creates a serious challenge [for Nigerian operators],” he said.

Emoekpere called on the government to review Starlink’s licencing conditions and require them to localize their operations.

“Otherwise, we risk creating an unfair advantage that could harm local players.”

Ironically, Starlink’s planned price increase brings it more in line with equivalent fixed-broadband services in Nigeria.

According to an analysis by Space in Africa, the median monthly subscription fee for six fixed-broadband providers that offer a 1,000GB data package similar to Starlink’s is a little over N74,000

Nigerian Communications Commission (NCC) has said it has successfully completed the federal government’s policy linking all phone numbers to a National Identification Number (NIN).

Aminu Maida, executive vice-chairman, NCC, stated this at the 2024 Annual Corporate Governance Conference held in Lagos on Thursday.

Maida, while acknowledging the challenges faced by Nigerians during the process, emphasised the significance of the concluded NIN-SIM linkage initiative, stating that the federal government’s policy will help curb crime and insecurity in the country.

According to him, “We have recently concluded the implementation of the federal government’s 2020 policy of linking every phone number to a NIN.

“Though it was a bit painful for Nigerians, I think we also need to appreciate what this does for us.

“Today, there is no phone number that we cannot associate with a verified NIN. Not just a number, but a number that has been verified.”

Few months ago, NCC announced September 14, 2024 as the final deadline for Nigerians for the ongoing SIM-NIN linkage exercise.

According to the telecom regulator, as at August 2024, over 153 million SIMs were successfully linked to NIN, reflecting an impressive compliance rate of 96%, a substantial increase from 69.7% in January 2024.

This, however, showed there were still millions of lines yet to be linked with NIN. As of March 2024, data from the NCC shows that there were 219 million active lines across the mobile networks of MTN, Globacom, Airtel, and 9mobile.

Announcing the final deadline in a statement signed by Reuben Muoka, director of Public Affairs, NCC said the target is to achieve 100% compliance by the said date. This means that all lines not linked by September 14 would be blocked by the network operators.

Beyond linking, all the NINs submitted, by the subscribers must have been verified, which is where many telecom consumers had issues.

According to the telecom operators, irregularities in registered data have been a major issue preventing the verification of NINs of millions of customers.

MTN Nigeria has partnered with TECNO in showcasing their latest AI-driven innovations – a lineup of smart devices at the launch themed “TECNO AI & Ecosystem”, providing fast, reliable and secure network connectivity to drive excellent user experience.

Held at the Balmoral Convention Center, Victoria Island, Lagos, the event had in attendance representatives from MTN Nigeria, Nigerian celebrities and influencers like KieKie, Veekee James, and other distinguished guests who witnessed the unveiling of the latest additions to TECNO’s series of AI-powered smartphones.

Also in attendance were notable Nigerian tech influencers like Olatunde Shobajo, popularly known as Valor Reviews and Izzi Boye who enlightened guests on the AI features of TECNO’s smartphones such as the Phantom V Fold2, V Flip2, Camon 30S Pro, Spark 30 Pro and smart devices like the TECNO Robot Dog.

The game-changing AI features on these smartphones range from real-time call translation to AI writing text generator, AI writing proofread, multilingual text generator and translator, report generator, real-time information search, meeting summary assistant among others.

Commenting on the partnership, Debo Agun, Senior Manager, Mass Market Segment, MTN Nigeria said “We are constantly trying to push the boundaries of innovation to create unmatched digital experiences for our customers.

“By combining our reliable, high-speed connectivity with TECNO’s innovative AI technologies through this partnership, we are one step closer to that vision.

“What this means for Nigerians is the opportunity to explore new possibilities in a truly connected digital world.”

In his opening remarks, Brand Manager, TECNO, Jack Chung spoke on the company’s global partnership ecosystem, highlighting TECNO’s collaboration with over 100 organizations around the world, including Google and MTN Nigeria.

“We consider our global partnerships to be important and maintain a solid relationship with various companies around the world. We’re glad to have our partners at MTN and Google present here today”.

Over the years, MTN Nigeria and TECNO have partnered to provide top-tier products and connectivity services to its Nigerian customers. Notably, in 2023, both companies collaborated for the launch of TECNO’s first 5G-enabled device, the Phantom X2 where customers were offered free data upon purchase and data bonuses to last for months.

With a fast network connectivity being the backbone of AI-driven technologies and MTN Nigeria as the pacesetter in the introduction of 5G in Nigeria, the collaboration between TECNO and MTN guarantees customers an enhanced digital experience as they enjoy the world-class technological innovations built-in TECNO’s AI-powered devices.