Users have reported that the satellite internet service Starlink has reached its capacity limit in the United Arab Emirates (UAE). Consequently, the company now recommends that prospective customers in the emirate join a waiting list instead of registering immediately through their order portal.
Some users who attempted to pre-order the service receive a notification stating that 'Starlink service is currently exhausted' in that area. However, they are given the option to place a refundable deposit to reserve a spot on the waiting list and receive a notification as soon as additional capacity becomes available.
Residents in the Al Majaz area of Sharjah and Al Quoz in Dubai tried to subscribe to the Starlink service, but the website indicated that the service had reached its capacity. The publication Khaleej Times also encountered similar results when attempting to place an order.
The deposit, labeled as 'Deposit payable today,' amounts to 285.71 dirhams and is described on the website as the 'total price including estimated tax'; the final amount may be adjusted after confirming the customer's address.
Starlink has not provided any estimates for when the service will become available in the region. The company stated on the orders page: 'Please note that we cannot provide estimated availability timelines, but our teams are working as quickly as possible to add more capacity to the grouping so that we can continue to expand coverage for more customers worldwide.'
The standard residential tariff plan costs 300 dirhams per month.
As reported by Khaleej Times last week, Starlink, owned by billionaire Elon Musk's SpaceX, received a 10-year License for general satellite services from the Telecommunications and Digital Government Regulatory Authority (TDRA) of the UAE, paving the way for its commercial deployment across the country.
The services will be available to private individuals, businesses, and government entities, as well as for providing satellite communication in the maritime and aviation sectors. The service is intended to complement the existing fiber optic network of the UAE with a layer of satellite broadband access covering individual consumers, businesses, government agencies, and maritime and aviation transport communications.
The capacity limitation in Dubai and Sharjah occurred just a few months after the service launched nationwide, indicating that demand in certain parts of the UAE may exceed the pace of Starlink satellite network capacity rollout in the region.
