Namibia Orders Starlink to Cease all Operations in the Country

(Bloomberg) — Namibia ordered Starlink Inc. to immediately cease all operations in the south-west African country, saying the satellite-internet service owned by billionaire Elon Musk is operating without the required telecommunications license.

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“The public is hereby advised not to purchase Starlink terminal equipment or subscribe to its services, as such activities are illegal,” the Communications Regulatory Authority of Namibia said in an emailed statement. “Investigators have already confiscated illegal terminals from consumers and have opened criminal cases with the Namibian police in this regard.”

Demand for Starlink services in sub-Saharan Africa has soared in recent years as local operators often struggle to provide fast broadband internet, especially in areas far from cities, and in some cases people have traded and activated the terminals illegally.

The SpaceX-linked company’s terminals sold out in Zimbabwe’s capital in October, less than two months after receiving permission from authorities to operate in that country. Authorities in Angola and South Africa have said they are in talks with Starlink, as has Kenya’s biggest phone company Safaricom Plc. In Namibia, a country bigger than Texas with a population of about 2.6 million, many people live far from main hubs and connectivity.

While Starlink has submitted an application for a telecommunications service license, it is still under review, the Communications Regulatory Authority of Namibia said. Until a license is granted, the importation of Starlink terminal equipment and use of its services contravenes the law, it said.

Starlink owner SpaceX didn’t immediately respond to an email to its media desk seeking comment. The company’s website show its service in Namibia will start in 2025.

–With assistance from Loni Prinsloo.