NAU calls for farmers, public to give input on Starlink application
Unions push for better connectivity in rural Namibia
Farmers, members of the Namibia Agricultural Union (NAU), and the public are encouraged to submit written comments on Starlink to the Communications Regulatory Authority of Namibia (CRAN) before the closing date on Friday, 12 December.
“This is an urgent necessity for Namibia. Modern agriculture is technology-driven, and technology is driven by connectivity,” the union emphasised recently.
“Starlink is already available in many African countries, promoting development, education, healthcare options, security and advanced technologies. Namibia cannot afford to be excluded from these developments," NAU said.
"To achieve the sixth National Development Plan (NDP6) goals, broad and reliable connectivity is an absolute necessity.”
The four agricultural unions – NAU, the Namibia National Farmers' Union (NNFU), the Namibian Emerging Commercial Farmers' Union (Necfu), and the Previously Disadvantaged Commercial Farmers Union (PDCFU) – have met with CRAN on several occasions regarding the urgent connectivity challenges faced by farmers.
The unions unanimously support the approval of a satellite network that can provide rural areas with affordable, broad and reliable connectivity.
Low connectivity
All four unions previously conducted a survey among their members, which revealed significant gaps in rural connectivity. Only 40.7% of respondents reported having mobile phone reception, while 37.5% said they sometimes had coverage and 21.8% had none at all. Internet access was similarly limited: just 46% had a connection, with 34.4% saying they only sometimes had access and 19.6% reporting no access whatsoever. In total, 91.9% of respondents said they had either no telecommunications services or very limited access, and only 8.1% indicated that they were satisfied with their current connectivity.
Following this, CRAN announced that it wishes to update the public and all stakeholders on the status of Starlink’s telecommunications service licence and spectrum licence applications, which were submitted in June 2024. The applications were published for public comment on 28 November 2025 in Government Gazette 8795 No. 897.
Critical steps
CRAN is inviting the public and interested parties to submit written comments before Friday, 12 December.
“This publication is a critical step in the licensing process, enabling stakeholders and the public to review the application details and submit feedback,” the authority said.
Once comments have been received, CRAN will carefully consider the application and evaluate it against the licensing criteria set out in Section 39 of the Communications Act and the accompanying licensing regulations. This assessment will examine ownership structures, technical and financial capacity, the confidentiality and neutrality of the service, adherence to standards and specifications, as well as network provisions relating to national defence, public safety and fair competition.
“We can confirm that the outcome of the ownership application has been received from the Minister of Information and Communication Technology. In accordance with the law, the full licence applications must now be assessed against all applicable criteria, including ownership,” CRAN added.
After the public consultation period, the authority will undertake a thorough evaluation of all aspects of the application to ensure compliance with the licensing requirements under the Communications Act No. 8 of 2009. The authority will keep the public informed about the next steps once the comment period has closed.
“Furthermore, CRAN remains committed to transparent and efficient regulatory processes. The authority will continue to update the public on the progress and final outcome of the Starlink licence application,” said CRAN spokesperson Mufaro Nesongano.
Written submissions and comments may be delivered physically or electronically. They can be hand-delivered at CRAN's offices or emailed to [email protected]
The NAU has requested its members to send a copy of their submitted comments to [email protected]
– [email protected]
“This is an urgent necessity for Namibia. Modern agriculture is technology-driven, and technology is driven by connectivity,” the union emphasised recently.
“Starlink is already available in many African countries, promoting development, education, healthcare options, security and advanced technologies. Namibia cannot afford to be excluded from these developments," NAU said.
"To achieve the sixth National Development Plan (NDP6) goals, broad and reliable connectivity is an absolute necessity.”
The four agricultural unions – NAU, the Namibia National Farmers' Union (NNFU), the Namibian Emerging Commercial Farmers' Union (Necfu), and the Previously Disadvantaged Commercial Farmers Union (PDCFU) – have met with CRAN on several occasions regarding the urgent connectivity challenges faced by farmers.
The unions unanimously support the approval of a satellite network that can provide rural areas with affordable, broad and reliable connectivity.
Low connectivity
All four unions previously conducted a survey among their members, which revealed significant gaps in rural connectivity. Only 40.7% of respondents reported having mobile phone reception, while 37.5% said they sometimes had coverage and 21.8% had none at all. Internet access was similarly limited: just 46% had a connection, with 34.4% saying they only sometimes had access and 19.6% reporting no access whatsoever. In total, 91.9% of respondents said they had either no telecommunications services or very limited access, and only 8.1% indicated that they were satisfied with their current connectivity.
Following this, CRAN announced that it wishes to update the public and all stakeholders on the status of Starlink’s telecommunications service licence and spectrum licence applications, which were submitted in June 2024. The applications were published for public comment on 28 November 2025 in Government Gazette 8795 No. 897.
Critical steps
CRAN is inviting the public and interested parties to submit written comments before Friday, 12 December.
“This publication is a critical step in the licensing process, enabling stakeholders and the public to review the application details and submit feedback,” the authority said.
Once comments have been received, CRAN will carefully consider the application and evaluate it against the licensing criteria set out in Section 39 of the Communications Act and the accompanying licensing regulations. This assessment will examine ownership structures, technical and financial capacity, the confidentiality and neutrality of the service, adherence to standards and specifications, as well as network provisions relating to national defence, public safety and fair competition.
“We can confirm that the outcome of the ownership application has been received from the Minister of Information and Communication Technology. In accordance with the law, the full licence applications must now be assessed against all applicable criteria, including ownership,” CRAN added.
After the public consultation period, the authority will undertake a thorough evaluation of all aspects of the application to ensure compliance with the licensing requirements under the Communications Act No. 8 of 2009. The authority will keep the public informed about the next steps once the comment period has closed.
“Furthermore, CRAN remains committed to transparent and efficient regulatory processes. The authority will continue to update the public on the progress and final outcome of the Starlink licence application,” said CRAN spokesperson Mufaro Nesongano.
Written submissions and comments may be delivered physically or electronically. They can be hand-delivered at CRAN's offices or emailed to [email protected]
The NAU has requested its members to send a copy of their submitted comments to [email protected]
– [email protected]
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