WINDHOEK, March 24 (Xinhua) -- Namibia has declined an application by Starlink to obtain a telecommunications service license and radio spectrum access, saying the satellite internet provider failed to meet several legal requirements.
The application was submitted through local partner Starlink Internet Services Namibia, but the Communications Regulatory Authority of Namibia (CRAN) decided not to grant the license.
Addressing a media briefing on Tuesday in Windhoek, CRAN Board Chairperson Tulimevava Mufeti said that while the applicant met requirements relating to competition, technical and financial capacity, and frequency availability, it failed to satisfy key criteria on ownership, national security and compliance history.
"Starlink does not comply with the ownership requirements prescribed under Section 46 of the Communications Act, as the entity is wholly foreign-owned," she said.
In addition, the company did not obtain an exemption from the statutory requirement that a license holder must have at least 51 percent Namibian ownership, according to Mufeti.
Upon assessment, the CRAN found that the applicant met only three of the six criteria required under the law and therefore did not qualify for approval under the Communications Act, she said.
Starlink is a high-speed, low-latency satellite internet service operated by SpaceX, the U.S. aerospace company founded by South African-born American entrepreneur Elon Musk.
Starlink submitted its application to operate in Namibia in June 2024. The CRAN said in November 2024 that the company had been operating in the country without the required license and ordered it to cease doing so.
The case has since sparked public debate in Namibia over access to affordable internet services, while also raising concerns over local ownership rules, national security, regulatory compliance and digital sovereignty.
The CRAN, meanwhile, said it remains committed to promoting innovation and expanding connectivity while ensuring full compliance with Namibia's regulatory framework and national interest requirements. ■