Starlink leaves Poland off European roaming region, Gawkowski demands SpaceX restore equal rules
SpaceX has left Poland off its shared European Starlink roaming region, forcing Polish users to register foreign trips and face higher costs from 17 August. Deputy PM Gawkowski has demanded SpaceX restore equal treatment.
Poland left off the European list
SpaceX has reorganised Starlink's mobile service into geographic regions, placing more than 30 European countries into a single shared roaming zone where travel between them is not treated as international. The list includes Germany, Czechia, Slovakia, Lithuania, France, Spain, Italy, Romania and Norway, among others. Poland is absent. Starlink's documentation states explicitly that accounts registered in Poland are treated as intended for use exclusively within Poland, meaning Polish customers face additional restrictions when travelling abroad that customers in most of Europe do not.
The omission was first flagged by a Reddit user and subsequently reported by specialist outlets RV Mobile Internet and SeaBits, which analysed changes introduced by the operator in July. Starlink has not publicly explained why Poland was excluded.
What changes for Polish users
New rules took effect for new customers on 14 July 2026 and apply to existing customers from 17 August 2026. Some subscriber emails cited 10 August as the implementation date, adding to confusion around the timeline.
- Musk calls Sikorski 'Soros puppet' on X
- New roaming rules take effect for new Starlink customers
- Date cited in emails to subscribers as implementation deadline
- New roaming rules take effect for existing Polish customers
Polish users of the Roam Unlimited plan must now register each foreign trip and submit a passport or other photo identity document. Customers on standard plans can use their terminal outside Poland for a maximum of 30 days per trip; Priority plans extend this to 60 days. After that, users must return to Poland, change to a more expensive plan, or re-register the account to another country.
Cost impact
The change hits customers financially. A Polish user on the Roam 100 GB plan paying 180 zł per month who wants to use Starlink during a longer stay in Spain or Croatia would need to switch to the Roam Unlimited plan at 460 zł per month. In the most extreme case, the Global Priority subscription costs 650 zł per month.
- Roam 100 GB
- 180 zł
- Roam Unlimited
- 460 zł
- Global Priority
- 650 zł
Portal Telepolis described the new requirements as a "mockery" and "open discrimination against Poles". The same information appears in Starlink's FAQ regardless of the language version of the site.
Political reaction
Deputy Prime Minister Krzysztof Gawkowski posted on X that he does not accept that a global technology company should treat Polish customers worse than other Europeans. He said he had contacted SpaceX demanding an urgent restoration of equal rules.
If Elon Musk wants to operate in Poland, use the Polish market and earn from Polish customers, he must treat them fairly and on equal terms.
Gawkowski said that if the reason is "local regulatory requirements", he expects SpaceX to cite specific regulations, and that general explanations are insufficient. He added that Poland is not a second-class market and Polish customers are not second-class customers.
Ukraine speculation
Some users and commentators have linked the exclusion to Poland's transfer of nearly 25,000 Starlink terminals to Ukraine, which financed key connectivity for Kyiv. The speculation suggests the change may be intended to prevent uncontrolled transfer, resale, or unauthorised use of devices purchased on the Polish market. SpaceX has not confirmed any such connection.
Public friction between Polish politicians and Musk has also been noted. In March 2025, Musk called Foreign Minister Radosław Sikorski a "Soros puppet" on X. No article provides evidence that this exchange is related to the roaming decision.
