Starlink terminals are now sold out in Nigeria’s largest cities—Lagos, Abuja, and Port Harcourt—as demand surges for the satellite internet service.
Benin City in Edo State and Warri in Delta State have also joined the list of areas unable to order new terminals, according to the company’s online availability map.
Attempting to place an order in any of these five cities returns a message stating: “Starlink Residential is not available in your area. Enter your email below to be notified about future availability and product updates, or if Starlink is active in your market, visit our Roam page to order our mobile offering.”
This halt affects only new sign-ups, while existing users retain access.
While Starlink terminals remain available in other parts of Nigeria, the rapid sell-out in major urban centres highlights the high demand for reliable internet alternatives in the country.
Starlink’s Nigeria launch in January 2023 was met with significant interest, particularly from users in regions with poor connectivity through local ISPs.
A similar trend is emerging in Zimbabwe, where Starlink terminals have also sold out in Harare just two months after gaining regulatory approval, marking Nigeria and Zimbabwe as the only African countries with sold-out Starlink devices, per a Bloomberg report.
In September, Starlink sparked controversy by nearly doubling its monthly subscription price from $50 to $98. The hardware price for new users also rose by 34%, from $575 to $770.
The price hikes were quickly suspended following a directive from Nigeria’s telecommunications regulator, which criticised Starlink for failing to seek regulatory approval for the changes.
Despite its premium pricing, Starlink’s reputation for stable, far-reaching internet access has made it a preferred option.
This popularity is evident in its rapid customer growth, with Starlink now ranking as Nigeria’s third-largest ISP by subscriber count.
As of Q4 2023, Starlink reported 23,897 users, surpassing the customer bases of several long-established local ISPs.
The unprecedented demand underscores a critical gap in Nigeria’s internet infrastructure, with Starlink’s satellite-based service offering a much-needed alternative for underserved regions.
