Starlink's 66,000 users in Nigeria face service disruption risk — biometric authentication must be completed by 2026

A strict regulatory requirement by the Nigerian Communications Commission(NCC) is putting urgent pressure on 66,000 Starlink users. According to the commission’s mandatory regulations, all satellite network service users must complete biometric data updates by December 31, 2025, or face the risk of restricted internet access.

Enforcement of NCC Policy and Time Pressure

The Nigerian Communications Commission initially issued this requirement via written directive on August 19, 2025, with the first deadline set for November 19, 2025(three months after the announcement). Due to compliance difficulties, the NCC extended the deadline on November 17, moving the final cutoff date to December 31, 2025. Subsequently, on December 29, Starlink sent an email to all customers confirming this policy and informing users that the verification process would take “less than two minutes” to complete.

Dual Challenges of Service Suspension and Capacity Limits

Starlink’s notification explicitly warned that users who do not submit their data before the deadline will face service suspension. Even more concerning for users is that service restoration depends not only on compliance but also on network capacity limitations in their regions. This means that even if some areas complete the verification, local network saturation may prevent service recovery.

In Lagos, affluent communities such as Victoria Island, Ikoyi, Lagos Island, Ikaja, Surulere, and Lekki frequently show “Sold Out” or “Capacity Full” during Starlink service availability checks. The same capacity saturation issues are present in several districts of Abuja, where new residential activations have been halted, and only prepayments for waiting lists are accepted.

Simplification of Biometric Verification Process and Industry Background

An anonymous Starlink employee revealed that the verification process is relatively straightforward. Users need to upload a photo of their passport, provide their National Identification Number(NIN), and authorize the linking of this information to their Starlink account. A Starlink user in Lagos, Tochukwu Nwankwu(Tochukwu Nwankwu), completed his biometric update after receiving the app notification last October. He described the process as similar to a routine in-app prompt—like notifications for poor signal or software updates.

This initiative by the NCC draws on its previous policies for mobile network operators. On December 15, 2023, the NCC required all mobile operators to link users’ NINs with existing SIM registration information(including facial images and fingerprints) as part of the “NIN-SIM Binding Program.” This program is implemented in collaboration with the National Identity Management Commission(NIMC), aiming to enhance national security, prevent identity fraud, and establish a more reliable national subscriber database.

Precedents in the Mobile Sector and Regulatory Expansion

The mobile sector has advanced according to a phased schedule, with September 14, 2024, set as the final compliance deadline. After that, operators were ordered to completely block all unverified phone lines. This action was ultimately successful—NCC reported a compliance rate of 96%, with over 153 million SIM cards successfully linked to verified NINs. In August 2025, the NCC announced the removal of all improperly registered SIM cards from Nigeria’s networks. This regulatory success has set a precedent for similar policies now being applied to satellite internet services like Starlink.

Under this regulatory framework, the NCC has expanded biometric verification from traditional mobile networks to satellite internet providers, aiming to unify identity verification and security standards across the entire telecommunications ecosystem. For the 66,000 Nigerian Starlink users, the current challenge is not only completing the verification before the deadline but also dealing with potential service restoration restrictions in certain regions.