Namibia rejects Starlink licence over local ownership requirement

Namibia’s Communications Regulatory Authority (CRAN) upheld its decision to deny SpaceX’s Starlink a telecommunications licence, emphasizing that the company does not meet the 51 % Namibian ownership threshold mandated by Section 46 of the Communications Act. The regulator also dismissed Starlink’s appeal and all 624 public reconsideration requests because they were filed after the statutory 30‑day deadline and failed to provide sufficient procedural detail.

The ruling leaves Starlink with the option of seeking a judicial review in Namibia’s High Court. The case reflects a broader discussion across Africa about digital sovereignty, as other nations such as Nigeria, Kenya, Rwanda and Mozambique have approved Starlink while Namibia argues that critical communications infrastructure must operate within national legal frameworks.