Thousands of Starlink users in French Polynesia could soon see their connection interrupted. Elon Musk's company has informed its subscribers using international roaming plans that, starting August 10, access used for more than 30 consecutive days outside their country of residence may be suspended. This measure particularly affects Polynesians using subscriptions purchased in other countries, as the service is still not officially authorized in the territory.
This decision is causing serious concern in the most isolated islands, where Starlink has become an indispensable tool for individuals and businesses. In the Gambier archipelago, many residents explain that they depend daily on this satellite connection, which they consider far more efficient than local networks, especially during outages or when existing infrastructure has slow speeds.
A bill to regulate the arrival of Starlink
The government of French Polynesia is nevertheless continuing its work to allow for the legal deployment of the service in the least-served areas. A bill is being prepared to authorize the use of Starlink in "white zones," provided that the company obtains local authorization, registers as an operator in French Polynesia, and has a representative office in the territory.
According to the Directorate General for the Digital Economy (DGEN), this change would allow current roaming subscriptions to be replaced by offers specific to French Polynesia, compliant with local regulations. The text is expected to be examined by representatives of the Assembly of French Polynesia starting in September, in a context where the arrival of Starlink continues to fuel the debate about its potential impact on existing telecom operators.
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