Musk’s Starlink denied telecoms licence in Namibia

WINDHOEK, March 23 (Reuters) – Namibia has turned down applications from Elon Musk’s satellite internet provider Starlink for a telecommunications service licence and access to radio spectrum, a notice in the Southern African country’s government gazette showed.

* The notice dated March 23 did not say why Starlink’sapplications were declined. * The Communications Regulatory Authority of Namibia couldreconsider the decisions “on its own motion or on a petitionfiled by an aggrieved party” within 90 days, the notice added. * A spokesperson for the regulator said a statement would beissued later. * SpaceX, parent company of Starlink, did not immediatelyrespond to a request for comment. * Starlink operates in several African countries but hasfaced regulatory challenges in others and resistance from statetelecoms monopolies. * In November 2024, the Namibian regulator hit Starlink witha cease-and-desist order, saying it had been operating in thecountry without a licence. * It also warned consumers against purchasing Starlinkequipment and said it had confiscated illegal terminals fromconsumers. SpaceX did not respond to a request for comment atthe time.

(Reporting by Nyasha Nyaungwa;Writing by Sfundo Parakozov;Editing by Alexander Winning and Bill Berkrot)