00:00A very good afternoon to all our viewers and listeners at home.
00:03We're very happy, alongside the chairperson of the Communications Regulatory Authority of Namibia,
00:09Professor Mufeti, to do this press conference and appraise the nation
00:14on the decision taken by the Government of the Republic of Namibia
00:18through the Communications Regulatory Authority of Namibia
00:21to decline the application license of Starlink.
00:25So, members of the media, the MICT executive management and team,
00:29the CRAN executive management and team,
00:32distinguished invited guests, esteemed stakeholders, ladies and gentlemen, good afternoon.
00:38As you may be aware, the decision of the Government of the Republic of Namibia
00:43through the Communications Regulatory Authority of Namibia
00:47regarding the application by Starlink Internet Services Namibia, PTYLTD,
00:54has been formally published in the Government Gazette.
00:57as of yesterday, the 23rd of March, 2026.
01:02This engagement serves to provide context to that decision
01:06and to reaffirm the authority's commitment to transparency,
01:11regulatory certainty, and, of course, the rule of law.
01:15CRAN's mandate is to regulate the communication sector
01:19in a manner that promotes universal access,
01:22fosters fair competition, and supports Namibia's digital transformation.
01:28In doing so, the Government, through the authority,
01:31seeks to balance the encouragement of innovation and investment
01:35with the need to ensure full compliance
01:38with the legal and regulatory framework governing the sector.
01:43Namibia's telecommunications sector continues to evolve
01:47with ongoing investment infrastructure,
01:50increasing service availability,
01:52and a growing range of offerings aimed at improving connectivity across the country.
01:58The authority remains focused on ensuring that this progress
02:02is sustained, inclusive, and aligned with national development objectives.
02:07It is therefore that the application submitted by Starlink Internet Services Namibia,
02:14PTYLTD, or Starlink in short,
02:16on the 1st of June 2024,
02:19sought a class comprehensive telecommunications service license,
02:23ECS and ECNS,
02:25as well as a spectrum license for fixed satellite services.
02:30CRAN then informed the applicant
02:32to approach the minister responsible for ICT,
02:36as per Section 46 of the Communications Act,
02:40Act No. 8 of 2009,
02:42to then seek the exemption
02:44in terms of ownership under that section.
02:47It is on the 1st of July 2024
02:50that the applicant then approached the Minister of ICT
02:55in terms of applying for the exemption
02:57under that particular Section 46 of the Act.
03:01Subsequent to that,
03:03consultative sessions were held
03:05with different stakeholders
03:06around the specific application on an exemption,
03:10and a decision was then communicated
03:12to the Communications Regulatory Authority of Namibia
03:15and the applicant
03:16in relation and exemption of ownership
03:19in accordance with Section 46 of the Act.
03:23The authority undertook
03:25a comprehensive and structured assessment
03:28of that application thereafter
03:30in accordance with the Communications Act
03:32and the applicable licensing
03:34and spectrum regulations.
03:36This process was guided
03:38by the principles of administrative law,
03:41including legality, rationality,
03:44proportionality, and procedural fairness,
03:47and included consideration of public submissions.
03:50The application was evaluated
03:53against six prescribed statutory criteria,
03:55namely competition,
03:57technical and financial capacity,
04:00frequency available,
04:03ownership, sorry, frequency availability,
04:05ownership and control,
04:07national defense and public security,
04:10and lastly, compliance history.
04:12Thank you,
04:12and let's just look at the requirements
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