Elon Musk's Starlink hits back after Namibia blocks telecoms license

Starlink's bid to enter South Africa is still in limbo, as regulator ICASA mulls a directive issued by Minister Solly Malatsi in December to allow alternative empowerment investment programmes to qualify for telecommunications licences.

The Communications Minister's instruction has been criticised as facilitating tech billionaire Elon Musk’s to operate this arm of Space X in the country without fully complying with Broad-Based Black Economic Empowerment (B-BBEE) requirements.

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Now neighbouring Namibia has turned down applications from Musk's satellite internet provider for a telecoms service licence and access ‌to radio spectrum.

The country's Communications Regulatory Authority (CRAN) declined Starlink’s applications, similarly citing a failure to meet ownership and compliance criteria.

In a statement published on its website, Starlink hit back at the decision and urged Namibians to request a formal appeal, providing a link to do so.

"Despite 98.6% public support during the consultation process, the application was not approved. CRAN’s regulatory process allows for continued public input following this decision. If you believe Namibia would benefit from expanded connectivity, you can request an appeal directly to CRAN..."

Starlink notes that Nambia has some of the slowest fixed broadband speeds on the planet and that more than 30% of its people still lack access to the Internet.

With more than 10,000 satellites in orbit, delivering high-speed, low-latency internet to every part of the globe, the company says it can bridge the digital divide in Namibia.

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