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.
