Starlink Operation is Illegal in Niue

The Niue government has confirmed there are several StarLink units operating illegally on the island. The Minister of Infrastructure Hon. Crossley Tatui told BCN News on Tuesday that a formal request was sent to the SpaceX legal team, owner of Starlink in mid-May this year to geo-block StarLink services in Niue,  however to date, there has been no further update from Starlink since then. 

Starlink is a satellite internet constellation and is a subsidiary of American aerospace company SpaceX.  It provides global mobile broadband with super download speed of more than 200 mega bits per second which is a real game changer for regular internet users. 

For the government of Niue, the users of Starlink on the island need to be reminded that there are laws in place to guide the use on communication such as licensing. 

Honorable Crossley Tatui shared an update on the geo-block of StarLink services on the island. 

StarLinks current operations in Niue are unauthorized and under the Communication Act 1989 you are required to have a license to operate a transmission and reception installation to receive signal. 

Tatui has confirmed there are at least five cases of illegal vendors accessing Starlink operations on the island. Penalties for these offenses include a fine of up to $200 or imprisonment for up to 3 months or both.

One of the people using Starlink on the island is musician and Entrepreneur Glenn Jackson. 

In a statement to BCN News Jackson said “As a business owner, my perspective on owning and operating Starlink extends beyond merely having the latest technology. It is an essential tool that enhances the services we provide to clients, the community, and at corporate events, both locally and abroad.”

“I speak for myself in emphasizing the value of Starlink’s faster upload speeds (averaging 25-45 Mbps). This capability allows us to livestream funerals—one of our many services”

Glenn Jackson told BCN News that in his line of work, live streaming from some of the villages like Makefu, Tuapa and Liku is challenging because of lower 4G capacity in these areas. 

BCN News understands the people using Starlink on the island purchased their units from New Zealand which are available in retail outlets there. 

The units have roaming capabilities which means even though they are registered in NZ they can still be used in other jurisdictions outside of New Zealand.