Poland challenges Starlink over discriminatory subscription rules

The Polish government has formally responded to new Starlink subscription guidelines issued by Elon Musk’s SpaceX. The new rules require Polish users to report international travel and undergo verification; failure to do so after 30 days abroad necessitates a switch to significantly more expensive subscription plans.

Notably, these restrictions appear to apply specifically to users in Poland and do not affect subscribers in 35 other European nations. Deputy Prime Minister and Minister of Digital Affairs Krzysztof Gawkowski has sent a formal letter to SpaceX management demanding the immediate restoration of equal service standards, stating that Poland should not be treated as a second-class market.

In separate domestic developments, the President of Poland has signed a law regarding artificial intelligence systems. This legislation introduces AI regulatory sandboxes, making Poland one of the first European countries to implement such a mechanism in response to the EU AI Act. Supported by a 35 million PLN budget, these sandboxes will allow businesses and local government units to test AI models in controlled environments for 6 to 12 months prior to commercial release.