CRAN rejects Starlink licence application over regulatory non-compliance

WINDHOEK, 24 MAR (NAMPA) – The Communications Regulatory Authority of Namibia (CRAN), backed by the Ministry of Information and Communication Technology (MICT), has rejected an application by Starlink to operate in Namibia, citing failure to meet key legal and regulatory requirements.
The decision, announced Tuesday during an information-sharing session, was published in the Government Gazette on 23 March 2026.
Minister of Information and Communication Technology, Emma Theofelus said the outcome followed a comprehensive assessment conducted in line with the Communications Act.
“The engagement serves to provide context to that decision and to reaffirm the authority’s commitment to transparency, regulatory certainty and the rule of law,” she said.
According to Theofelus, Starlink Internet Services Namibia applied in June 2024 for a class comprehensive telecommunications service licence and a spectrum licence for fixed satellite services.
CRAN board chairperson Tulimevava Mufeti said the application was assessed against six statutory criteria - competition, technical and financial capacity, frequency availability, ownership and control, national defence and public security, and compliance history.
She said Starlink met requirements relating to competition, technical and financial capacity, and frequency availability, but failed on the remaining criteria.
On ownership and control, Mufeti said the company did not meet the requirement of at least 51 per cent Namibian ownership and had not secured an exemption under Section 46 of the Communications Act.
“The entity is wholly foreign-owned and therefore does not comply with the prescribed ownership requirements,” she said.
She added that concerns were raised over national security and regulatory oversight, particularly given the satellite-based model and lack of local presence.
“The proposed model raises material regulatory considerations concerning jurisdiction, enforceability of compliance obligations, and the authority’s ability to exercise effective oversight,” she said.
CRAN also found that Starlink contravened the Communications Act by operating without a valid licence and failing to respond to regulatory summons.
“This shows a disregard for the governance framework of the sector and raises doubt on the applicant’s ability to honour licence conditions,” Mufeti said.
CRAN summarised that the application met only three of the six criteria, each unmet requirement constituting sufficient grounds for refusal. The telecommunications and spectrum licence applications were therefore declined.
Theofelus said the government remains committed to balancing innovation with compliance.
(NAMPA)
MWY/PS/EK