5 600 Namibians urge Cran to reconsider Starlink

One of more than 5 600 people who signed a petition urging the Communications Regulatory Authority of Namibia (Cran) to reconsider its decision not to issue spectrum and service licences to Starlink says the group will approach the High Court if their concerns are ignored.

"We are not going to leave it there. There are so many people in rural areas who do not have a voice because they do not have access to the internet," said Reinhardt Küsters, who launched the petition.

He submitted the petition by email to Cran, the information and communication technology minister and the prime minister's office.

“In today's interconnected era, the internet is not a luxury –it's a necessity,” the petition reads.

“However, many Namibians living in remote areas are still in the dark, without reliable access to the internet. This digital divide hinders the progress of our nation and widens the gap between urban and rural communities.”

For Küsters, the Starlink issue is personal.

"Every day I have to drive 10 km from my home to find a place where I can access the internet," he said.

"This is not only about my personal inconvenience. It represents a broader issue affecting tens of thousands of Namibians living in rural areas who remain disconnected from the digital world."

Küsters, who works in the tourism industry in Kongola in the Zambezi region, said the arguments in favour of allowing Starlink into Namibia outweigh those against it.

"For all the millions Elon Musk has invested, we cannot expect him to simply hand over a 51% stake," he said.

Küsters said the alternative to Starlink, low-Earth orbit (LEO) internet provider OneWeb, is not an adequate substitute.

"It is very expensive, very slow and comes with usage limits. You also have to spend a lot of money on the equipment," he said.

According to Küsters, Starlink can be life-changing for many.

"The approval of Starlink's application has the potential to dramatically improve the lives of many Namibians by providing them with the digital tools needed for education, business and personal communication.

"The cost of missed opportunities is too high for our nation to ignore, and embracing this technology will drive Namibia towards a better future," the petition states.

Thousands sign

The petition attracted more than 5 000 signatures within a week.

By Thursday, 5 615 people had signed it.

Küsters also called on the relevant authorities to be transparent with the public about the matter.

“They must tell us why they allowed the other one but not Starlink. Something is not right – they must be transparent with us,” he said.

Questions sent to Cran regarding the acceptance of the petition, the grounds on which OneWeb was allowed to operate in Namibia, and Starlink’s appeal to Cran had not been answered by the time of publication.

On 24 March this year, Cran announced that it had rejected Starlink’s application for spectrum and service licences, saying the company, which has no Namibian ownership, met only three of its six requirements.

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