WINDHOEK, Jan. 22 (Xinhua) -- As Namibia weighs whether to grant an operating license to Starlink, the satellite internet service owned by the U.S.-based private company SpaceX, experts have cautioned that the decision goes beyond improved connectivity, touching on national security, digital sovereignty, and long-term economic development.
Richard Iroanya, an expert in African peace, security, and strategy, told Xinhua in a recent interview that the primary concern lies in Starlink's foreign and private ownership.
Since the company is neither based in Namibia nor publicly owned, authorities could face limitations in exercising full regulatory control over its operations, he said.
"The seriousness of this problem becomes clear when viewed against the background that Starlink's messaging systems are encrypted. This enables whatever is sent through them to bypass Namibia's cybersecurity system," Iroanya said.
He added that small countries like Namibia do not have to choose between rapid digital inclusion and long-term sovereignty, but should instead pursue a carefully calibrated balance.
One option, he suggested, is granting a conditional rather than unrestricted operating license. Conditional licensing would allow the government to impose requirements such as data localization, ensuring access to certain categories of data generated within Namibia.
The expert's comments come after Namibia's Mobile Telecommunications Company (MTC) lodged a formal objection last month against Starlink Internet Services Namibia's application for a telecommunications service license and related spectrum licenses.
MTC warned that approving the application could contravene the country's Communications Act and threaten national interests, noting that Starlink's satellite-based business model does not align with Namibia's existing regulatory framework, particularly regarding lawful interception, spectrum oversight, quality-of-service standards, and universal access obligations.
According to media reports, MTC also criticized the Communications Regulatory Authority of Namibia (CRAN) for treating Starlink's application as confidential, saying the move weakened transparency and limited meaningful public participation.
The company further cited Starlink's previous unauthorized operations in Namibia, noting that CRAN had earlier issued a cease-and-desist order and seized illegally imported terminals.
Following the objection, CRAN opened the matter to public consultation, with a final decision on Starlink's license application expected by the end of the first quarter of 2026.
Iroanya said Namibia could require foreign satellite providers to partner with local firms or allow equity participation by Namibian companies. Such arrangements, he noted, would promote skills transfer, technology diffusion, and local capacity building, enabling the country to benefit from improved connectivity while retaining a degree of strategic control over its digital infrastructure.
While noting that there is no single model Namibia can simply replicate, Iroanya pointed to relevant international examples.
Kenya's phased licensing approach allows regulators to assess compliance and impact over time before expanding operational permissions, a model Namibia could adapt to its own context, according to him.
Meanwhile, Iroanya warned that heavy reliance on foreign satellite providers could undermine the long-term development of Namibia's domestic telecommunications sector.
Dominant global players like Starlink, he said, could outcompete local firms and stifle emerging innovation ecosystems before they mature.
To mitigate this risk, he said that partnerships with local companies should be made a licensing condition, helping integrate foreign technology into the local economy rather than allowing it to operate as a parallel system. ■
