Starlink to appeal Namibia licence rejection 

On Techpoint Digest, we discuss Starlink's appeal of Namibia licence rejection, Nigerians getting paid for network issues, and Safaricom expanding beyond M-PESA with new tools.

Hujambo,

Victoria from Techpoint here,

Here’s what I’ve got for you today:

Starlink to appeal Namibia licence rejection 

Nigerians to get paid for network issues

Safaricom expands beyond M-PESA with new tools

Starlink to appeal Namibia licence rejection

Gbadebo’s Starlink setup

Remember this? Starlink hits regulatory wall in Namibia

Well, Starlink isn’t backing down. After being blocked from operating in Namibia, the company says it will appeal the decision, insisting that “hope is not lost” as it pushes to overturn the rejection. 

Here’s the situation: Namibia’s telecoms regulator denied Starlink both a licence and access to radio spectrum, effectively shutting it out of the market. The main issue? Ownership and compliance. Local laws require telecom companies to be at least 51% locally owned, but Starlink is fully foreign-owned, putting it in violation of the rules. 

If you ask me, this is another roadblock for Starlink’s African expansion. The company has grown rapidly across the continent, but Namibia shows that growth isn’t guaranteed. Governments are becoming more cautious about foreign tech firms, especially regarding control, regulation, and the amount of value that stays within local economies. 

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