Hundreds of Starlink customers in South Africa have been left without access to the satellite Internet service. Starlink has claimed that the users are violating trademark and copyright laws. Starlink users who manage their accounts through StarSat Africa first noticed the issue on Thursday, 8 February 2024."
Several users mentioned their connections were offline on Facebook groups, while others notified an unassociated Starlink kit importer of their issues. One customer said their link has been offline since Tuesday, 6 February.
Although Starlink is not yet officially supported in South Africa, its roaming service works in the country. However, the dish and router cannot be shipped to a South African address from Starlink. The service must first be registered and the kit delivered to an address in an officially-supported country.
StarSat Africa is one of several companies that import and resell Starlink kits to South Africans, charging R14,999 for the equipment. According to StarSat Africa, SpaceX has determined that the company and other resellers are in violation of the Starlink Terms of Use. Starlink has also taken issue with the use of its trademarked brand name and images of its equipment in marketing by resellers.
“SpaceX must protect itself and its valued consumers from fraud, theft, and any confusion as to the source or affiliation of its goods and services,” the notice provided to MyBroadband by StarSat Africa stated. “Therefore, in accordance with the Terms of Service, SpaceX is immediately terminating your agreement and suspending your account(s).”
SpaceX further insisted that StarSat Africa immediately cease all unauthorized resales of Starlink services and cease all use of the Starlink mark in connection with marketing its services or any similar actions that further cause confusion between SpaceX and StarSat Africa.
What does this mean for those that use starlink in Zimbabwe? The Postal and Telecommunications Regulatory Authority of Zimbabwe (POTRAZ) has not yet given Starlink an operator license, and recently announced a plan to crack down on those importing and using the service in Zimbabwe. Will Starlink kits already in use in the country be deactivated?
