READ | Starlink must be 30% owned by historically disadvantaged groups if it wants to operate in SA – Icasa While it has not been possible to import a Starlink kit or take out a subscription in South Africa, some people got around this by taking out a regional roaming package that allows the kit to be used beyond the borders of the home country. Users could then bring the kit into South Africa. The Independent Communications Regulator of South Africa (Icasa) published a Government Gazette notice late last year, which stated that using a Starlink in this way was illegal. Until now, though, the illegal connections had largely been untroubled and unpunished. Workarounds In response to the recent cut-off, IcasaSePush, a company which had imported Starlink kits into South Africa, published a list of potential workarounds for the cutoff. The list was subsequently trimmed down to only two methods by Monday. Firstly, Starlink's global roaming packages, which allow for services to be accessed anywhere on the planet, still seem to work, according to IcasaSePush. However, this option is substantially more expensive than a regional roaming package. The other fix is to manually take the Starlink kit back to the country where the service is managed from, every two months, as is required by Starlink for the regional package. IcasaSePush notes that these regulations could change at any time. Adding to Starlink's clampdown on illegal connections, it also recently introduced a steep "outside region fee" which will be levied on users who buy a subscription in one country and activate their service in another. Progress Icasa signalled its intent to hold an inquiry to look into new satellite rules in South Africa in a Government Gazette published on 14 August this year.