Why Are Nigerians Walking Away From Starlink and Spectranet?

With the rising cost of living, Nigerians are rethinking their internet bills, causing a noticeable shift away from services like Starlink, Spectranet, and other major ISPs. In a country where many are already struggling with high prices for basics like food, fuel, and transport, internet subscriptions have become one of the first luxuries to be trimmed from household budgets.

More people feel the pinch of the economic squeeze, choosing to scale back on expenses they deem “non-essential.” For many, high-speed internet, especially the more expensive options like Starlink has fallen into that category.

Starlink

Starlink’s monthly subscription fees, which can be nearly twice the cost of local broadband providers, put it out of reach for many households. The company’s customer base dropped from 65,564 in Q3 2024 to 59,509 in Q1 2025, a loss of over 6,000 users. This decline is partly due to Starlink’s steep price increase in April 2025, when monthly fees rose from N38,000 to N57,000, nearly double the cost of many local providers.

Kelvin Ayodele, a small business owner in Lagos, shared his experience: “I had to stop my Starlink subscription after the price increase. I switched to a mobile network broadband service that costs less but still gives me reliable internet.”

Jide Awe, an Innovation and Technology policy advisor, explained: “The rising costs of data, equipment, and power supply are forcing many families and businesses to focus strictly on essentials, and internet subscriptions are among the first expenses to be cut.”

Spectranet

Similarly, Spectranet, one of Nigeria’s oldest broadband providers, has also seen its customer base shrink. While it offers more competitive rates than Starlink, its prices remain higher than many mobile data plans. This has led customers to question whether they really need a “premium” service when cheaper alternatives or mobile data can do the job.