Elon Musk's Starlink issued warning by Australian communications watchdog

Elon Musk's satellite internet service, Starlink, has received a formal warning from the Australian Communications and Media Authority for failing to submit required quarterly complaints reports on time.

A side profile of Elon Musk in a black t-shirt.

ACMA said Starlink's failure to submit complaints reports in a timely manner hindered its ability to monitor whether the service was meeting its consumer obligations. Source: AAP / Sebastian Gollnow / DPA

Key Points
  • Elon Musk's satellite internet service warned by 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 record-keeping complaints.

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.

Authority member Samantha Yorke said: "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."
The company has since provided the outstanding complaints reports and cooperated throughout the investigation.

The Starlink satellite service has increased in popularity in parts of regional Australia, where the internet is provided through the slower copper network instead of 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.
But 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.


For the latest from SBS News, download our app and subscribe to our newsletter.

Share
2 min read

Published

Source: AAP


Share this with family and friends


Get SBS News daily and direct to your Inbox

Sign up now for the latest news from Australia and around the world direct to your inbox.

By subscribing, you agree to SBS’s terms of service and privacy policy including receiving email updates from SBS.

Download our apps
SBS News
SBS Audio
SBS On Demand

Listen to our podcasts
An overview of the day's top stories from SBS News
Interviews and feature reports from SBS News
Your daily ten minute finance and business news wrap with SBS Finance Editor Ricardo Gonçalves.
A daily five minute news wrap for English learners and people with disability
Get the latest with our News podcasts on your favourite podcast apps.

Watch on SBS
SBS World News

SBS World News

Take a global view with Australia's most comprehensive world news service
Watch the latest news videos from Australia and across the world
Elon Musk's Starlink issued warning by Australian communications watchdog | SBS News