🇳🇱 STARLINK LAUNCHES IN BONAIRE, STATIA, AND SABA AFTER YEARLONG REGULATORY STANDOFF
Starlink has officially gone live across Bonaire, Saint Eustatius (Statia), and Saba, bringing high-speed satellite internet to the Caribbean Netherlands.
The announcement came with maps showing all three islands glowing blue on the Starlink service grid.
The launch follows a 16-month regulatory fight with the Dutch Authority for Digital Infrastructure (RDI), which blocked operations in 2024 for lacking a telecom license.
Starlink’s revised application met local concession requirements, earning a 15-year approval in November 2025 under oversight by RDI and the Netherlands Authority for Consumers and Markets (ACM).
For the islands’ 27,000 residents, the upgrade is life-changing.
Starlink delivers 220 Mbps download speeds with under-30-millisecond latency, far surpassing legacy DSL’s 10–50 Mbps.
Hardware costs about $599, with monthly plans near $120, enabling stable connectivity for schools, hospitals, and tourism.
The system now covers 28+ Latin American and Caribbean territories, extending next to Aruba and Curaçao.
Starlink’s entry bridges the digital divide for these remote, hurricane-prone islands, proof that when bureaucracy clears, innovation connects the world.
Sources: #starlink
