Musk's Starlink denied telecoms licence in Namibia

Namibia has turned down applications from Elon Musk's satellite internet provider Starlink for a telecommunications service licence and access to radio spectrum, a notice in the Southern African country's government gazette showed.
File photo: SpaceX founder and Tesla CEO Elon Musk speaks on a screen during the Mobile World Congress (MWC) in Barcelona, Spain, on 29 June 2021. Reuters/Nacho Doce/File Photo
File photo: SpaceX founder and Tesla CEO Elon Musk speaks on a screen during the Mobile World Congress (MWC) in Barcelona, Spain, on 29 June 2021. Reuters/Nacho Doce/File Photo

* The notice dated March 23 did not say why Starlink's applications were declined.

* The Communications Regulatory Authority of Namibia could reconsider the decisions "on its own motion or on a petition filed by an aggrieved party" within 90 days, the notice added.

* A spokesperson for the regulator said a statement would be issued later.

* SpaceX, parent company of Starlink, did not immediately respond to a request for comment.

* Starlink operates in several African countries but has faced regulatory challenges in others and resistance from state telecoms monopolies.

* In November 2024, the Namibian regulator hit Starlink with a cease-and-desist order, saying it had been operating in the country without a licence.

* It also warned consumers against purchasing Starlink equipment and said it had confiscated illegal terminals from consumers. SpaceX did not respond to a request for comment at the time.

About the author

Nyasha Nyaungwa;Writing by Sfundo Parakozov;Editing by Alexander Winning and Bill Berkrot

 
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