Starlink Wins PNG Internet License After April 24 Court Ruling

2 articles · Updated · islandsbusiness.com · Jun 9

Starlink has been licensed to operate satellite internet services in Papua New Guinea, opening the market to its low-Earth-orbit network after months of regulatory dispute.
An April 24 PNG National Court judgment cleared the licensing path after the regulator had previously said Starlink use in the country was illegal, despite pressure from businesses, officials and citizens for access.
The approval comes as PNG’s mobile internet market showed little price movement in 2025: Telikom and Vodafone held bundle prices steady, while Digicel alone made unpredictable changes.
That backdrop suggests competition did not intensify in 2025, making Starlink’s entry—alongside Q1 2026 trials approved for OneWeb—a potential new test of whether satellite services can lower retail internet costs.