The Advertising Standards Authority (ASA) has taken action against an online advertisement for SpaceX’s Starlink satellite broadband service, declaring it misleading due to the omission of critical information associated with a promotional offer for free terminal hardware, typically priced at £299.
The controversial promotion, which featured the wording “£0 £299 for the Standard Kit with 12-Month Residential Service Plan commitment,” was accompanied by a visual of the Starlink hardware kit. However, crucial details were concealed in smaller text, stating, “Availability and price may vary based on location […] Terms apply. Review the FAQs on starlink.com to learn more.”
Despite the service’s growing popularity—boasting 6 million global customers by July 2025, including 110,000 in the UK— complaints were raised as the promotion was not universally accessible. Certain regions, particularly in the South East of England, had been excluded. Users in these areas discovered that they faced additional costs, such as a demand surcharge, which raised their total upfront fee significantly beyond the advertised price.
The ASA ruling noted that this promotional offer was notably unavailable to consumers in metropolitan areas including Greater London and a number of surrounding counties, collectively home to about one-third of the UK population. The ASA emphasized that the ad failed to clarify this geographical limitation, thus misleading potential customers.
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Moreover, the ASA found that the advertisement conveyed the impression that consumers not eligible for the promotional offer would only incur the standard £299 fee, plus the monthly charge for the service plan. However, some users were confronted with additional costs that contradicted this implication, leading to a total upfront fee significantly exceeding the advertised price.
In their conclusion, the ASA stated that the advertisement was misleading due to the exclusion of material information regarding the service plan’s cost, the geographical constraints, and the potential for additional fees. As a result, the ASA has banned the advert in its current form, instructing Starlink to revise their promotional materials to include all necessary information in future advertisements. In response, the company has reportedly revised the language of their promotion to address these concerns.
