Namibia’s Communications Regulatory Authority (CRAN) has dismissed Starlink’s appeal against its March licence rejection on Monday, confirming that Elon Musk’s satellite internet company still does not meet Namibia’s local ownership requirements and has now exhausted its immediate legal options in the country.
CRAN originally rejected Starlink’s applications for a telecoms service licence and radio spectrum access in March, citing non-compliance with section 46 of Namibia’s Communications Act, the provision requiring local ownership and control of licenced operators. The rejection followed a public assessment against six criteria, including competition, national security, and compliance history. Starlink failed on ownership.
With this development, Namibians in rural and underserved areas who want affordable satellite internet and are watching their government block it on ownership technicalities. There’s a demand for Starlink; the CRAN received 624 public submissions asking the authority to reconsider.
And that’s the last of it, for now. Next door in South Africa,Starlink’s path is equally blocked; the Independent Communications Authority of South Africa (ICASA) said in May it cannot implement the minister’s direction without amending the Electronic Communications Act, a process that could take years. Two countries, same wall. Until Starlink restructures its local ownership or finds a compliant partner, southern Africa stays off the map.