Starlink temporarily halts new sign-ups in several African urban centers because of a soaring demand for the service.
The company says too many users are trying to access the Starlink service in those regions, which are currently at network capacity.
One such city is Nairobi, Kenya. Starlink suspended new subscriptions for residential and roaming plans in Nairobi due to high demand that exceeded network capacity.
Starlink moved to suspend new subscriptions in several African cities, including Nairobi and nearby areas, due to network overload.
They say that too many users are trying to access their service, which is affecting bandwidth and preventing them from supporting additional residential or roaming customers at this time.
Five African countries have sold out of Starlink terminals due to a surge in demand.
Nigeria has the highest number of cities where the kits have run out. In Nairobi, Kenya, Starlink terminals have flown off the shelves. Lusaka, Zambia, no longer offers terminals, and Antananarivo, the capital of Madagascar, lists them as “expanding in 2025.”
In several African urban centers where network capacity has reached, Starlink is actively addressing the high demand.
To alleviate congestion and expand service availability, Starlink is taking several measures:
1. Deploying More Satellites: By increasing the number of satellites in its constellation, Starlink aims to enhance bandwidth and improve service quality in densely populated areas.
2: Enhancing Ground Infrastructure: Upgrading ground stations and related infrastructure will support higher data throughput and better manage increased user demand.
3. Collaborating with Local Partners: Starlink is exploring partnerships with local telecommunications companies and internet service providers to more effectively integrate its services into existing networks, thereby expanding coverage and capacity.
While efforts are underway to boost urban capacity, StarLink emphasizes that there is still significant availability in rural and less populated regions. The company encourages users in these areas to take advantage of the service as it continues to work on enhancing urban network capabilities.
In several African urban centers where network capacity has reached its limit, Starlink is stepping up efforts to meet the soaring internet demand.
To address this, the company is deploying more satellites to enhance bandwidth, upgrading ground infrastructure to improve data throughput, and collaborating with local telecom partners to better integrate services.
Despite the congestion in urban areas, Starlink emphasizes the significant service availability in rural regions and encourages users in these areas to utilize the service while urban capacity improvements are underway.
