Namibia’s communications regulator has rejected Starlink’s bid to operate in the country, citing failures to meet key legal and regulatory requirements.
Here is a breakdown of the key reasons behind the rejection according to the Communications Regulatory Authority of Namibia (CRAN)
- Failure to meet minimum ownership requirements
A central issue was Starlink’s ownership structure. Namibia’s Communications Act requires at least 51% local ownership in telecommunications licensees unless an exemption is granted.
CRAN found that Starlink, which is wholly foreign-owned, did not comply with this requirement and had not secured an exemption.
This alone was sufficient grounds for refusal under the law.
- Concerns over national security and regulatory oversight
CRAN also raised concerns about how Starlink’s satellite-based model would be regulated within Namibia’s jurisdiction.
The authority said the company’s structure and operating model raised questions around data sovereignty, enforceability of compliance obligations and the ability of regulators to exercise effective oversight.
These concerns fall under requirements related to national defence and public safety, which are part of the statutory licensing criteria.
- Compliance history raised red flags
The regulator cited past compliance issues, stating that Starlink had previously operated in Namibia without a valid licence and failed to respond to regulatory summons.
CRAN said this conduct raised concerns about the company’s willingness and ability to comply with licence conditions if approved.
- Only half of the required criteria were met
CRAN assessed the application against six statutory criteria: competition, technical and financial capacity, frequency availability, ownership and control, national security, and compliance history.
Starlink met three of these, namely competition, technical and financial capacity, and frequency availability.
However, failure to meet the remaining three resulted in the application being rejected, as each criterion is independently sufficient grounds for refusal.
- Spectrum licence automatically denied
Because Starlink did not secure a telecommunications service licence, its application for a spectrum licence was also denied.
Under Namibian law, spectrum cannot be issued independently of a valid service licence.
- What happens next
CRAN said the company may request a reconsideration of the decision or submit a revised application that addresses the identified gaps.
Authorities have also stressed that the decision does not signal opposition to satellite technology. Both CRAN and government say low-Earth orbit satellite services remain important for expanding connectivity, particularly in rural areas.
