Starlink restores access in Nigeria’s most congested cities for ₦159,000 monthly

Starlink has restored access to its Business (Priority) plan in Nigeria’s most congested cities, offering a partial reprieve to customers in Lagos, Abuja, and Port Harcourt who have faced months of “Sold Out” notices. 

But the relief comes at a steep price: ₦159,000 ($99.38) monthly, plus hardware costs that can exceed ₦4 million ($2,500).

The reopening, which began on February 14, 2026, does not introduce a new product. Rather, it restores access to a previously suspended tier that was paused alongside residential subscriptions as congestion intensified in high-demand urban centres. 

For residents in Victoria Island, Ikoyi, Lekki, Surulere, and parts of Abuja, where new residential orders remain blocked, the options are limited: upgrade to the Priority plan or join the waitlist.

A check of multiple locations across Lagos State on the Starlink website returns a consistent notice: “Due to high demand in your area, only Priority Plans are available in your area.”

In an increasingly competitive satellite broadband market, prolonged “Sold Out” notices risk costing Starlink revenue and visibility in Africa’s largest economy. By reopening its higher-priced Priority tier in Lagos and other congested hubs, the company retains a presence in its most valuable urban markets and converts pent-up demand into immediate income. 

The move is timed as rivals such as Amazon, through Project Kuiper, prepare to expand into emerging markets. Amazon secured a landing permit to operate in Nigeria in January 2026. Keeping high-value customers connected helps Starlink defend market share and reinforce its dominance, even while residential users remain on the waitlist.

Starlink’s congestion challenges have been building in Nigeria and Kenya since late 2024. After hitting capacity in major cities, the company became embroiled in a pricing dispute with the Nigerian Communications Commission (NCC) when it attempted to raise monthly fees without final regulatory approval. 

The standoff led to an eight-month nationwide freeze on new residential orders between November 2024 and June 2025. Although sales resumed last year at a moderated ₦57,000 ($36) residential price point, urban demand has continued to outstrip available capacity.

Since September 2025, several dense neighborhoods in Lagos and Abuja have remained effectively closed to new home users, who are now directed to pay a deposit to join a waitlist with no clear timeline for activation.

The Business plan offers a faster path, at a cost. At ₦159,000 ($99.38) monthly, subscribers receive 1TB or 2TB of “Priority Data,” after which speeds may be deprioritised but usage remains unlimited. Hardware presents a bigger hurdle. 

While a standard kit costs around ₦590,000 ($369), Starlink recommends its Flat High Performance dish for business users. That equipment ranges from roughly ₦3.15 million ($1,969) to ₦4.1 million ($2,563), designed to handle harsh weather and deliver more stable throughput in high-demand environments.

Business customers also receive priority technical support and access to a publicly routable IPv4 address, critical for companies running servers, VPNs, and remote monitoring systems.

The reopening comes as SpaceX, Starlink’s parent company, accelerates its global satellite deployment. As of February 24, 2026, SpaceX has completed 18 Starlink missions this year, launching approximately 428 satellites into orbit. 

In February alone, 11 Starlink-specific launches were conducted, including a record-setting “doubleheader” on February 21 in which two Falcon 9 rockets launched within hours of each other from opposite US coasts. One booster, B1067, flew its 33rd mission, setting a new reusability benchmark.

The active Starlink constellation now exceeds 9,700 satellites, edging toward the 10,000 mark. Several recent launches have included Direct-to-Cell satellites aimed at delivering connectivity directly to smartphones.

Yet even with rapid orbital expansion, local bottlenecks persist. Satellite internet capacity depends on ground infrastructure, spectrum allocations, and regulatory frameworks that shape deployment speed. In Nigeria’s commercial hubs, demand appears to be outrunning those constraints.