Africa-Press – Namibia. Trade Forum of Namibia chief executive Rodney !Hoaeb has warned against calls for foreign competition in the country’s telecommunications sector.
This comes after Starlink announced it is waiting for approval from the Namibian government to operate in the country.
!Hoaeb says such proposals overlook Namibia’s market size and strategic interests, limiting the commercial viability of large-scale telecom investment.
He adds that MTC’s original shareholders exited due to limited long-term prospects and the company revolved into a locally owned enterprise.
“Even South African operators overlooked Namibia because telecom infrastructure requires numbers,” he says.
He states that the current telecommunication companies have a track record of improving connectivity in the country and investing in different social projects.
“No matter how bad domestic grievances are in a house, you don’t bring in a stranger to punish your family,” !Hoaeb says.
“Solve them internally, nobody in Namibia has a clue about Starlink’s infrastructure or databanks, financials or power to decide for their domestic affairs. It will be a one-sided affair.”
The Communications Regulatory Authority of Namibia on Tuesday said it would announce its final decision on Starlink’s application by the end of the first quarter of 2026.
The authority said it received 1 180 written public submissions after inviting public input on Starlink’s applications. Of these, 1 164 supported Starlink’s proposed entry into the Namibian market, while 16 opposed it.
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