In mid-December PNG said the company did not have a licence to operate in the country and ordered it to halt operations
Frustration is growing in Papua New Guinea weeks after the government ordered Starlink to shut down operations in the country as businesses, health providers and communities struggle without access to internet services.
Starlink, owned by Elon Musk’s SpaceX, is a satellite internet company that provides internet to remote places. In mid-December, the National Information and Communications Technology Authority (Nicta) ordered the company to halt operations because it was not licensed in PNG.
“Starlink is currently not licensed to operate in Papua New Guinea, and until the legal process is completed, services cannot be allowed,” Nicta’s acting chief executive,Lume Polume, said.
Nicta is now waiting on the ombudsman or the courts in PNG to issue a directive over whether it will be granted a licence. No timing has been provided on when a directive will be issued.
