NAIRAMETRICS
The much-anticipated operation of Space X’s Starlink in Nigeria has commenced, as Nigerians who pre-ordered the company’s hardware have been receiving their orders and enjoying high-speed internet via satellite.
However, Nairametrics can confirm that the service is available to only those who have dollar cards to make payments for the hardware online.
This means that many Nigerians who want the service will not be able to purchase its hardware, let alone subscribe until the company establishes its physical presence in the country and starts accepting naira for payments.
Aside from the hardware, which costs $600, subscriptions for the service costs $43 a month according to information provided by Starlink.
Suspension of virtual/bank cards: While it would have been easier for many Nigerians to purchase Starlink through the use of virtual dollar cards, the suspension of the service by providers such as Flutterwave and Eversend, has made it difficult.
Many Nigerian banks have also suspended international transactions on naira ATM cards, even though the daily limit on international transactions before the suspension was $20 a day.
With these developments, only Nigerians that have dollar cards can order Starlink hardware for now.
Starlink internet speed: According to an Abeokuta-based Bello Gbadebo, who pre-ordered Starlink hardware in October last year and received it in December, he got about 20Mbps on the initial test and it went up to about 240Mbps afterwards. Sharing his experience on Twitter, he said…
