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Key Points
- Elon Musk’s satellite internet service warned by the ACMA for failing to submit required complaint reports on time.
- Starlink violated regulations by missing four quarterly report deadlines between October 2023 and July 2024.
- ACMA says the failure hindered its ability to monitor whether Starlink was meeting its consumer obligations.
Elon Musk’s Starlink has been put on notice by the Australian communications watchdog.
The controversial billionaire’s satellite internet service has received a warning from the Australian Communications and Media Authority (ACMA) over complaints record-keeping.
Telecommunications companies with more than 30,000 active services are required to file complaints reports with the authority no later than 30 days after each quarter.
But Starlink failed to do so on four occasions between October 2023 and July 2024.
“Starlink’s failure to submit the required complaints reports in a timely way hampered the ACMA in its role of monitoring whether Starlink is meeting its obligations towards consumers,” authority member Samantha Yorke said.
The company has since provided the outstanding complaints reports and cooperated throughout the investigation.
In certain regional areas of Australia, the Starlink satellite service has gained popularity as it offers an alternative to the internet typically provided by the slower copper network rather than through high-speed fibre-optic cables.
Some say it could compete with Australia’s National Broadband Network as thousands across the country are now believed to use the service in their homes.
However, there are lingering concerns about the risks it could pose.
In December, a regional telecommunications review found the foreign ownership of systems such as Starlink raises questions about data security and sovereign risks.
