NAMIBIA
Regulators have rejected SpaceX’s satellite internet bid, citing 100% foreign ownership, national security concerns and a history of unlicensed operations – while leaving the door open for a revised application.
Namibia’s communications regulator has formally refused Starlink permission to operate in the country, dealing a significant blow to the satellite internet provider’s African expansion plans. The move comes after months of scrutiny of Starlink’s ownership structure, its past activities in Namibia and the broader implications of a foreign‑controlled, space‑based network for national security.
Regulator rejects Starlink bid
The Communications Regulatory Authority of Namibia (CRAN) has rejected applications by SpaceX’s satellite internet service, Starlink, for both a telecommunications service licence and a radio frequency spectrum licence. The decision was published in the Government Gazette on 23 March 2026, following a review under the country’s Communications Act.
At a press briefing on 24 March, Minister of Information and Communication Technology Emma Theofelus and CRAN board chairperson Tulimevava Mufeti outlined the reasons for the refusal. Mufeti said Starlink’s bid was assessed against six statutory criteria: the impact on competition, technical and financial capacity, spectrum availability, ownership and control, national defence and public security, and the applicant’s compliance history.
Starlink met only three of those tests. It passed on competition, technical and financial capacity, and spectrum availability, but failed on ownership and control, national security, and its past conduct in Namibia.
Why the application failed
Three main issues drove the regulator’s decision:
- Ownership and control: Namibia’s Communications Act requires that licensed telecommunications operators have at least 51% local ownership. Starlink’s Namibian subsidiary, Starlink Internet Services Namibia (Pty) Ltd, is entirely foreign‑owned and did not secure an exemption from this requirement.
- National security and data sovereignty: CRAN raised concerns about the state’s ability to exercise effective oversight of a space‑based network that is 100% foreign‑owned and largely controlled from outside Namibia. Mufeti said the proposed model created serious questions about jurisdiction, enforceability of compliance obligations and the regulator’s ability to supervise critical communications infrastructure as required by law.
- Prior unlicensed operations: The regulator also pointed to Starlink’s earlier activities in Namibia. The company was found to have provided telecommunications services without a licence and to have ignored formal summonses from the authority, behaviour that has fuelled doubts about its willingness to respect Namibian regulation.
Minister Theofelus stressed that the ruling is not directed at a specific company but is grounded in the country’s legal framework. “The requirement for Namibian ownership and control serves to ensure that telecommunications service providers remain subject to domestic jurisdiction and are fully accountable to national authorities,” she said. She also questioned whether Starlink’s pricing model would serve the poor, arguing that the upfront hardware costs and monthly fees “do not justify the affordability of that device for the vulnerable communities that want access to it.”
Earlier cease‑and‑desist order
The formal rejection caps a longer‑running clash between Starlink and Namibian regulators.
In late 2024, CRAN ordered Starlink to stop what it described as unauthorised operations in the country. Officials reported that user terminals were entering Namibia informally, with customers importing kits from neighbouring states where the service is already licensed. The authority warned the public not to buy or activate Starlink equipment and confirmed that some terminals had been confiscated during enforcement actions.
Starlink went on to submit its formal licence application in June 2024. The bid was published in the Government Gazette in November 2025, triggering a public consultation period. CRAN says it received more than 1,100 submissions, with over 98% of respondents supporting Starlink’s entry into the market – a wave of public backing that ultimately carried no legal weight against the statutory criteria.
The connectivity stakes
The regulator’s ruling will be felt most acutely in rural and peri‑urban communities that had hoped satellite internet would finally close long‑standing connectivity gaps.
Across remote regions such as Kunene, Kavango, Omusati and parts of //Kharas, many households still rely on patchy mobile reception, while fixed broadband remains scarce or non‑existent. Schools struggle to download basic learning materials, clinics battle to access up‑to‑date medical information, and small businesses operate with limited or no digital presence.
In its application, Starlink claimed that regulatory approval would allow it to reach around 65% of schools without reliable connectivity, 80% of healthcare facilities limited to 3G or slower, and more than one million Namibians who remain offline. Its global availability map continues to list Namibia as a planned market, but the company has yet to publicly respond to the regulator’s latest decision.
Industry and policy debate
The case has reignited a broader policy debate over how Namibia should expand internet access without undermining its regulatory authority or disadvantaging domestic operators.
Local telecoms players argue that any new entrant must meet the same obligations they do, including local ownership thresholds and compliance with universal service requirements. They warn that if a foreign satellite provider is allowed to operate on looser terms, it could erode revenues in the sector and weaken incentives to invest further in terrestrial networks.
Digital rights advocates and some ICT specialists counter that the existing framework is too slow and too rigid for the urgency of the digital divide. Given Namibia’s vast distances and low population density, they argue, satellite connectivity is one of the most efficient ways to reach “last mile” communities that fibre and mobile networks have repeatedly failed to serve.
The rejection also stands out in a regional context. It is Starlink’s second major setback in southern Africa linked to local‑ownership and regulatory issues, following similar obstacles in South Africa, even as the company accelerates roll‑outs in other parts of the continent. Starlink is currently active in dozens of African markets, from West to East and Central Africa.
What happens next
Despite the strong language in the ruling, the decision is not necessarily the end of the road.
CRAN has confirmed that its determination can be revisited on its own initiative or following a petition from an affected party. Theofelus has also emphasised that Namibia remains open to all internet service providers that are prepared to comply with national laws. “All applicants are invited to revise their submissions, review the elements that led to the rejection, and resubmit their applications to the authority, which we will be happy to reassess,” she said.
For Starlink, the clearest route forward is to address the 51% local ownership requirement, either by restructuring its Namibian entity or seeking a ministerial exemption, and to demonstrate a stronger commitment to regulatory engagement. It could also challenge the decision through administrative or legal channels, though it has given no indication it plans to do so.
For now, Namibia has drawn a firm line: it is open to cutting‑edge satellite technology, but only on terms that keep control of vital communications infrastructure firmly within its own legal and regulatory reach.