Nearly twelve months after submitting the Starlink Petition Group’s petition to the Falkland Islands Government in the Town Hall, Stanley, the government has formally revised the VSAT policy and fee level.
This is a momentous occasion for all businesses and consumers on the island – Starlink (or, more accurately, VSAT) Freedom has finally arrived!
This is the Starlink Petition Group’s response to the Falkland Islands Government’s Starlink press release announcing the approval, which can be found below:
Starlink Petition Group Press Release
June 11th 2025
Response to the Falkland Islands Government’s approval of Starlink operation in the islands – a historic milestone by any measure.
The Starlink Petition Group is proud to announce that June 10, 2025, is officially Starlink Freedom Day. This day marks the culmination of a promotional initiative involving car window stickers introduced by the Group to keep the petition top-of-mind for stakeholders throughout the extensive efforts to secure Starlink approval in the Falklands.
This decision marks a historic step forward for connectivity in our community. After nearly a year of persistent, coordinated advocacy from islanders, FIG’s approval is a powerful affirmation of democratic engagement and public will. We thank all members of the Legislative Assembly and all those involved in the process for their careful deliberation and ultimate support of the petition.
The Starlink Petition Group also welcomes the Government’s agreement to the second element of the petition: a reduction in the licence fee for operating a VSAT (Very Small Aperture Terminal). Historically, the Falkland Islands Government had set an annual fee of £5,400, which was intended as a deterrent to prevent consumers and businesses from circumventing the exclusive licence held by the local telecommunications provider.
We are also profoundly grateful to all the engaged people of the islands, as well as public servants and the Communications Regulator, whose dedication made this approval possible. Your contributions throughout the process have been invaluable. Thank you.
This outcome is not just a win for our Group; it is a victory for everyone in the Falkland Islands who values progress, innovation, and choice.
The journey to this point began in May 2024, culminating in the submission of the petition to MLAs on July 11, 2024. Over the following months, the process has involved extensive public and stakeholder consultation, government reviews, and unprecedented community involvement. The time taken by FIG for “due process” was 335 days, which included the following milestones.
- August 1, 2024: First Select Committee meeting
- September 5, 2024: Second Select Committee meeting
- October 3, 2024: Final Select Committee meeting
- November 18, 2024: Public survey
- February 25, 2025: ExCo indicates ‘minded’ to support the petition
- March 10 – May 11, 2025: Extended public consultation period
- June 10, 2025: Formally revised the VSAT policy and fee level.
We acknowledge that the journey was, at times, prolonged and met with concerns. However, we firmly believe the final result has justified the effort. Many of the concerns raised, some of which were speculative, have been thoughtfully addressed through careful review and independent oversight. We now look forward to a swift and transparent implementation. Islanders have waited long enough for access to affordable, high-speed internet.
While the Government’s approval is a significant milestone, there are still some necessary steps ahead. Starlink will await written confirmation of the decision from the Falkland Islands Government, agree to operating licence terms and conditions, and align on end-user pricing, which is dependent on negotiations regarding Starlink’s pricing model. Other matters, such as spectrum licensing, will also need to be addressed.
Assuming no unforeseen external obstacles arise, we expect these negotiations to take between a few weeks and a couple of months to conclude, in line with experiences in other regions.
The Starlink Petition Group stands ready to support this next phase in any way we can.
Some have inquired whether the Starlink Petition Group will disband following the launch of Starlink services in the Falkland Islands. The answer is no.
With the Sure South Atlantic exclusive telecommunications licence set to expire on December 29, 2027, the Government has already begun a significant initiative to shape the future of telecommunications in the Falkland Islands—one that could set a global benchmark for remote island connectivity. Starlink approval is but the first step.
With the continued support of the community, we intend to evolve into a renamed group dedicated to contributing input and guidance to this critical Government programme, ensuring it delivers and ideally surpasses the islands’ connectivity needs for at least the next two decades. More on this in due course.
In closing, we extend our sincere thanks to the Falkland Islands’ MLAs and Government for listening, acting, and helping to make this transformative moment a reality.
Let’s move forward – together.
The Starlink Petition Group
For further information, contact Simon Verrechia, Chairman of the Starlink Petition Group, at simonv321@gmail.com or Chris Gare, Strategy Advisor, at chris@gare.uk.
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The Falkland Islands’ Starlink Petition Group is a community initiative in the Falkland Islands formed to advocate for the introduction of SpaceX’s Starlink satellite internet service in the Falkland Islands. The Group has played a key role in highlighting public demand for improved internet infrastructure, engaging residents and stakeholders, and initiating dialogue with MLAs and the Falkland Islands Government.
Their campaign, which garnered widespread public support through a strongly supported petition in July 2024, has helped signal the urgent need for modern, high-speed broadband across the Falkland Islands. The Group’s efforts contributed to the broader conversation around digital equity, economic opportunity, and connectivity in remote territories.
FALKLAND ISLANDS GOVERNMENT PRESS STATEMENT
11 June 2025
Executive Council Approves Revised VSAT Policy and Fee Level Following Public Consultation
Executive Council (ExCo) yesterday approved a revised VSAT policy and fee level, following the recent public consultation and the recommendations of the 2024 Telecommunications Select Committee.
The public consultation received over 600 responses, with strong public support shown for the proposed changes to the policy and fee level.
At yesterday’s meeting, ExCo approved the following:
- A revised policy rationale for the issuing of personal VSAT licences under the Communications Ordinance;
- To amend the annual licence fee for personal VSAT licences from £5,400 to £180 per year, subject to formal amendment of the Fees Regulations at ExCo and a date being set for commencement;
- That the Director of Development and Commercial Services engage Sure South Atlantic (Sure) in negotiation around ongoing provision of all telecommunications services with the results of these negotiations to be returned to Executive Council for further decision-making as necessary.
The revised VSAT policy rationale was supported on the basis of several factors, including:
- That the development of services available via VSAT operators represents a functionally different service from that available when the original policy was established.
- Low earth orbit (LEO) services that can be provided via VSAT providers are becoming more essential to the people of the Falkland Islands.
- The needs of the people of the Falkland Islands for these services has been demonstrated by the community petition and resulting Select Committee.
- The balance is no longer in favour of a single supplier, as more than one supplier of internet service provision offers mitigation against the possibility of service disruption.
- Any person who demonstrates by the completion of an application form for a licence and therefore their willingness to pay an additional fee to receive the service, that they have a need for personal use of VSAT services and should be entitled to self-provide that service, within the terms of the licence available to them.
These decisions follow widespread public demand for more affordable and accessible broadband solutions and mark a significant step towards expanding access to alternative broadband options, while ensuring continued delivery of core telecommunications services to all residents.
Next steps
Following ExCo’s decisions, the Communications Regulator has said she intends to communicate the changes to the VSAT policy and the reduced licence fee to Starlink Internet Services Limited (Starlink), who have applied for a licence to provide broadband services.
Communications (Fees) Regulations 2019 will need to be amended to reduce the fee for VSAT licences from £5,400 to £180 a year and to introduce a licence fee for Starlink to provide broadband services. This will be submitted to ExCo for consideration on 24 June 2025. The Regulator can then conclude consultation with FIG, Sure and the Starlink Petition Group on licensing Starlink to provide broadband services to users with VSAT licences. The Regulator has said that consumers would not be able to apply for a VSAT licence until Starlink has a licence to provide broadband services. The Regulator will continue to pause issuing VSAT licences until licencing discussions are concluded.
In parallel, FIG officers will now engage with Sure regarding ongoing provision of telecommunication services for the Falkland Islands. ExCo has requested a substantive update on negotiations with Sure in August.
Further public updates will be provided by the Falkland Islands Government as the work progresses.
An exact date for when Starlink could be granted a licence to provide broadband services cannot be confirmed at this stage.
MLA Mark Pollard, Portfolio Holder for Development and Commercial Services said: “This is a landmark step toward improving connectivity for the Falkland Islands. We’ve listened carefully to the community and are committed to balancing accessibility, regulation, and the long-term stability of telecommunications in the Falklands”.
Timeline
Date Action
24 June 2025 ExCo to consider amendments to the Communications (Fees) Regulations 2019
July/August 2025 Finalisation of Starlink licensing discussions
August/Sep 2025 Subject to ExCo approval, commencement of amended Fees Regulations. Subject to decisions of the Regulator, re-opening of licence applications with new policy and fee level.
Release of updated guidance, VSAT licence application forms, and enforcement policies to the public will be done at the same time as licence applications re-open, subject to successful licensing of providers.
Chris Gare, OpenFalklands June 2025, copyright OpenFalklands
