Namibia is latest African country to clash with Elon Musk’s Starlink

Authorities in Namibia say Starlink does not have the required telecommunications licence and must cease operations until one is granted. The Communications Regulatory Authority has also warned consumers not to purchase Starlink equipment or subscribe to its services. 

Starlink provides high-speed, low-latency broadband internet in remote and rural locations across the globe. Its service enables video calls, online gaming, streaming, and other high data-rate activities that historically have not been possible with satellite internet. 

Starlink application is still under review 

According to reports by local media and international news agencies, Starlink has applied for a telecommunications service license in Namibia, but the application is still under review. 

Starlink has previously clashed with regulators in various African countries – among them South Africa and Cameroon – for lack of relevant licences. In some instances, there has also been pushback from state telecom monopolies, as well as from private service providers seeking to protect their significant investments in mobile infrastructure. 

While Starlink’s stated aim is to delivery high-quality internet to rural areas, where such services are typically lacking, many urban African consumers have also been taking up the service due to lack of suitable capacity in cities. 

Reports WeeTracker, a Pan-African, research and media company: “From bustling metropolises like Nairobi and Lagos to Harare and Lusaka, city dwellers have driven Starlink’s surge in demand. This rush has even forced the company to halt new sign-ups in major urban areas, despite having reserved ‘significant capacity outside of city centres’, according to owner Elon Musk’s own statement on X, in which he added that Starlink is working to increase internet capacity in dense urban areas in Africa as fast as possible.”