Falkland Island Residents Cry out for Starlink in a Nationwide Urgent Appeal
On a chilly Tuesday in February, residents of the Falkland Islands received an unwelcome email from Starlink. "You're currently utilizing our services in an unauthorized territory," it read, "Local telecommunications authorities have ordered Starlink to disable your services." The email sent shockwaves through the community, which has been leaning on Starlink for internet access due to poor service from the local monopoly, Sure International.
Technically speaking, using Starlink in the Falklands is against the law. The territory's telecommunications authorities haven't given the SpaceX-backed service the green light to operate there. Despite this, some government entities and locals have managed to secure VSAT licenses, which haven't exactly cleared the way for legal usage.
Starlink's rapid speed and affordability make it an attractive alternative to the slow and pricey packages offered by Sure International. The cheapest Sure package costs a whopping $18, with a max download speed of just 4Mbps and a data cap of 10GB. The unlimited plan, which advertises 10Mbps, costs a hefty $285 a month. But even the unlimited plan only came into play four months ago, in response to Starlink's growing popularity.
Many locals have opted for Starlink's "roaming mode," which offers faster speeds but comes with a daily data limit and a higher price tag. Starlink's download speeds are at least ten times higher than Sure's.
As customers began flocking to Starlink, Sure and the FIG responded by making it more expensive and complicated to obtain a VSAT license. These licenses cost a hefty £5,400 upfront, with an additional £2,200 fee each year. Applicants also had to explain their reasons for wanting to break Sure's monopoly. This expensive and cumbersome process led to months of frustration and controversy.
In an attempt to resolve the issue, the Falkland Islands government put together a Starlink Select Committee. The committee called for lowering the satellite license fee and reconsidering the application process. Yet, despite these recommendations, Starlink users on the island received the dreaded email, warning they would soon be cut off.
Starlink, however, clarified a few days later that no instruction to disable services had come from the Falkland Islands' authorities. The FIG also reiterated that Starlink hasn't received their formal approval to operate in the territory, even though some exploratory discussions have taken place.
Sure celebrated the confusion, reminding customers in a Facebook post that it still offers an unlimited plan and that it values serving the local community. But the comments beneath the post were less than sympathetic.
One user wrote, "So 'hypothetically' instead of paying £74 for an average of 200mbps, I can pay £533 and get at best 15mbps? Wow ... Where do I sign??”
Another user replied, "What a joke. Been there, done that, been fobbed off."
Another, voicing the frustrations of many lower-income families, said, "You have stopped us from living in the real world where the Internet is an everyday part of life. Cheers Sure."
But there was a glimmer of good news on the horizon. Some of the Starlink accounts that had been slated for termination suddenly came back online. Starlink's website also changed, showing that the Falklands will officially be part of its service "starting in 2025."
The island's people can now anticipate an eventual resolution to their internet access dilemma with FIG's support for Starlink by April 2025. The island's Executive Council is expected to receive a report that will outline a recommended path forward for Starlink's legal operation in the Falklands.
The situation is far from over, but with the support of a majority of the island's population and ongoing efforts from the FIG and Starlink, the Falklands are one step closer to reliable, affordable internet access.
The email from Starlink highlighted the company's operation in the Falklands as unauthorized, prompting worries about future internet access. Given the poor service and high prices from Sure International, many locals rely on Starlink's more affordable and rapid technology.