…Decision on license expected early next year
STAFF WRITER
The Communication Regulatory Authority of Namibia (CRAN) on Tuesday said the majority of Namibians are backing the South African born -American billionaire Elon Musk setting up his ‘cheap’ Starlink internet services brand in Namibia.
Starlink is already operating in several African countries including Zambia, Zimbabwe, Uganda, Kenya, Botswana and South Africa. However in Namibia the company has been facing challenges dealing with the affirmative Action law which makes it mandatory to partner local entities.
CRAN asked Namibians to air their views on the company’s pending license a few weeks ago.
The regulator released a statement on Tuesday saying they received 1,180 written submissions , with the majority supporting Starlink operations in Namibia.
The feedback reflects a broad range of views, with the majority of submissions expressing support for the application.
“Of these, 1,164 were supportive and a total of 16 submissions expressed opposition to the application,” the statement said.
CRAN added that, “Amongst the supportive and opposition input, there was a number of substantive comments that the applicant will be required to formally address as part of the evaluation process.”
CRAN Executive: Communication and Consumer Relations, Mufaro
Nesongano said the submissions collectively illustrate the public’s active engagement and diverse perspectives regarding the potential implications of Starlink’s entry into Namibia’s telecommunications sector.
“CRAN is currently in the process of consolidating all received comments. Once completed, the Authority will share the compiled feedback with Starlink, providing an opportunity for the company to respond directly to the public concerns and viewpoints within a period of 14 days after receiving the comments,” Nesongano, Executive said.
He added that , “CRAN aims to announce its decision regarding the licence application by the end of the first quarter (Q1) of 2026, ensuring thorough review and public engagement throughout the process,”
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