Namibia Orders Starlink to Cease Operations Over License Issue

The Communications Regulatory Authority of Namibia (CRAN) announced on Thursday that it has issued a cease-and-desist order to Elon Musk’s satellite internet provider, Starlink, for operating in the country without the necessary telecommunications license.

Starlink, a satellite internet division of SpaceX, operates in several African countries but has encountered regulatory hurdles in some nations and opposition from state-run telecom monopolies.

According to CRAN, while Starlink has applied for a telecommunications service license in Namibia, the application is still under review.

CRAN has warned the public against purchasing or subscribing to Starlink’s services, stating that such actions are illegal. The authority revealed that investigators have already confiscated unauthorised Starlink terminals from users and filed criminal cases with the Namibian police.

Starlink first launched in Africa in January 2023, debuting in Nigeria and promising to transform high-speed internet access across the continent.

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By October 2023, the service had officially expanded to seven African countries, including Kenya, Mozambique, and Zambia, and later extended to over a dozen others, such as Mauritius and Sierra Leone.

Demand for Starlink’s services has been growing across sub-Saharan Africa, especially in remote areas where local operators struggle to deliver fast broadband connectivity. However, this demand has sometimes led to illegal trading and activation of Starlink terminals.

In Namibia, a sparsely populated country with just 2.6 million people spread across an area larger than Texas, connectivity remains a significant challenge in remote communities. CRAN has made it clear that until Starlink secures a license, the importation and use of its terminal equipment are prohibited.

According to Starlink’s official website, the service is expected to launch in Namibia by 2025.