Nigerian govt accuses Elon Musk’s Starlink of breaching NCC regulation

Nigerian Communications Commission has accused Starlink, a satellite communication company owned by X CEO Elon Musk, of an unapproved data tariff hike. The NCC said the satellite internet service provider had unilaterally increased its data tariffs without obtaining the necessary approval from the commission. In a statement on Tuesday, NCC noted that Starlink’s actions violated Sections 108 and 111 of the Nigerian Communications Act (NCA) 2003 and its licence conditions. According to the statement, NCC took “a dim view” of the infringement, seeing it as a threat to regulatory stability in the telecommunications industry. “We were surprised that the company jumped the gun by announcing price changes after filing a request to the commission seeking approval for price adjustment, for which the commission has yet to communicate a decision. “The commission will, therefore, take appropriate enforcement measures against any action by a licensee that is capable of eroding the regulatory stability of the telecommunications industry,” the statement said.  (NAN)