LEO satellite operator Starlink has scored another licence in the Pacific Islands to offer services – this one in the Solomon Islands, after two years of discussions with the government.
According to Solomon Islands Broadcasting Corporation, the Telecommunication Commission of Solomon Islands (TCSI) issued a Class License to locally incorporated Starlink Solomon Islands Limited on Thursday after signing an MoU with Ryan Goodnight, senior director of global licensing and market activation for Starlink parent company SpaceX.
Like many Pacific Island nations, the Solomon Islands has seen residents turn to Starlink as an alternative (albeit a technically illegal one) to local internet services that are either pricy or unavailable in some areas.
Starlink had recently agreed to disable roaming services to the Solomon Islands until it had secured a licence. TCSI Commissioner Calvin Ziru said the service will be reactived for people who already have Starlink terminal kits, the report said.
Starlink has been in talks to launch service in the islands since 2020, but has spent that time working to meet regulatory requirements, to include registering the company locally with the foreign investment board.
Starlink’s potential entry into the market also met resistance from state-owned telco Our Telekom (a.k.a. Breeze) and Vodafone affiliate Bmobile, who were worried about the service’s impact on the telecoms market.
“The two main telecommunication providers in the country have raised their concerns on the new player on the market,” Ziru told SIBC. “However it is clearly seen that Starlink services will not only make internet services more affordable for Solomon Islanders but will also complement the services the major operators provide.”
There may also be reseller opportunities for both operators. Bmobile signed a deal with satellite phone operator Lynk Global in November 2023 to launch a satellite direct-to-mobile phone service to customers.
