Australian watchdog issues warning to Elon Musk’s satellite internet service Starlink

The service owned by controversial billionaire Elon Musk has been warned by Australia’s telco watchdog over failures to report complaints.

Elon Musk’s Starlink has been put on notice by the Australian communications watchdog.

The controversial billionaire’s satellite internet service 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.

The Starlink satellite service has increased in popularity in parts of regional Australia, where 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.

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.