Starlink Suspends Services in PNG

Starlink has suspended all satellite internet services in Papua New Guinea after regulators ordered SpaceX to halt operations amid an ongoing licensing dispute that has stalled the company’s entry into the market for more than a year.

Papua New Guinea’s National Information and Communications Technology Authority (NICTA) confirmed last week that it instructed Starlink to stop providing services after determining that the company is not licensed to operate in the country. The regulator warned that continued importation, sale, installation, or use of Starlink terminals is illegal and could lead to enforcement action, including prosecution.

According to NICTA, despite lacking formal approval, Starlink equipment has been circulating widely across the country in recent months, prompting concerns about regulatory compliance and consumer protection.

At the center of the dispute is the Ombudsman Commission, which has blocked Starlink’s licensing since early 2024, citing unresolved concerns over service reliability and the adequacy of existing regulations to manage potential risks to the public interest and national safety. The commission’s directive effectively froze NICTA’s ability to issue an operating license to SpaceX.

NICTA has since challenged the Ombudsman Commission’s decision in the National Court, seeking to overturn the restriction and proceed with licensing. However, with the case still before the courts, the regulator says it is legally constrained from authorizing Starlink to operate in Papua New Guinea.

In a notice sent to affected users, Starlink said it remains committed to entering the Papua New Guinea market and encouraged customers to voice their support for full regulatory approval. The company emphasized that its low-earth orbit satellite network could deliver reliable, high-speed internet to homes, businesses, schools, and remote communities that remain underserved by traditional connectivity.

NICTA has confirmed that public support for Starlink is growing, with around 200 individuals already signing a petition calling on authorities to allow the service to operate legally in the country.

Communications Minister Timothy Masiu has declined to comment on the matter, stating that it remains under judicial review.

The standoff stands in contrast to Starlink’s rapid expansion across other Pacific island nations, where the service has been widely praised for transforming internet access in remote and geographically challenging regions. Starlink gained international attention in the Pacific after providing emergency connectivity to Tonga following the volcanic eruption that severed the country’s undersea internet cables.

Since then, the service has been deployed in several island territories and nations, helping bridge long-standing digital gaps and provide critical redundancy during natural disasters.

In Papua New Guinea, however, Starlink’s rollout has remained stalled since late 2023. The Ombudsman Commission has argued that the country’s regulatory framework may not yet be equipped to manage satellite-based internet services at scale, a position that has frustrated both regulators and potential users.

Despite the impasse, SpaceX maintains that it is fully prepared to launch operations once approval is granted. Speaking at a technology conference in Port Moresby late last year, SpaceX’s global market access leadership said the company has already established a local business entity in Papua New Guinea and intends to work alongside domestic telecom providers rather than compete with them.

Starlink has positioned itself as a complementary service designed to fill connectivity gaps and provide backup infrastructure, particularly in rural and hard-to-reach areas.

For now, the future of Starlink in Papua New Guinea hinges on the outcome of the court case. Until a ruling is made, satellite internet users across the country remain cut off from the service, even as demand for affordable and reliable connectivity continues to grow.