Overview
- Namibia’s communications regulator denied Starlink’s bid to operate, blocking the satellite internet service from entering the market.
- The authority said it can reconsider the refusal within 90 days on its own or after a petition from an aggrieved party.
- Information Minister Emma Theofelus said Starlink failed a legal requirement that a Namibian entity hold 51% local ownership.
- She also cited national security and data-sovereignty risks, earlier unlicensed use of Starlink gear, and pricing that many households cannot afford.
- Across the region, approvals vary, and South Africa has likewise withheld a licence under local ownership rules while about 30 African countries have authorised access.