Icasa caught in the political crossfire over Starlink

Icasa caught in the political crossfire over Starlink

Communications minister Solly Malatsi’s declaration on Friday that his patience with sector regulator Icasa has run out is a small bureaucratic event dressed up as a much larger political one. The written statement issued by his spokesman was carefully phrased – Malatsi “expects to be provided with reasons for the lack of sufficient detail” in…

Read More
Musk hurls expletives at senior SA diplomat in Starlink row

Musk hurls expletives at senior SA diplomat in Starlink row

SpaceX CEO Elon Musk has attacked South Africa’s head of public diplomacy, Clayson Monyela SpaceX CEO Elon Musk has called a senior South African government official “a fucking racist” and an “asshole” in the latest escalation of his long-running public dispute with Pretoria over the licensing of his Starlink satellite broadband service. The exchange, which…

Read More
Starlink fires back after Namibia rejects licence bid

Starlink fires back after Namibia rejects licence bid

Starlink has hit back at Namibia’s decision to reject its licence application, calling the regulator’s characterisation of its non-compliance “misleading” and urging Namibians to request a formal appeal. In a statement published on its website, the satellite internet provider owned by Elon Musk’s SpaceX said it had made clear over the past three years its…

Read More
Starlink fires back after Namibia rejects licence bid

Why Namibia slammed the door on Starlink

Namibia declined licence applications from Elon Musk’s satellite internet provider Starlink for failing to satisfy ownership and compliance criteria, the country’s telecommunications regulator said on Wednesday. A notice in the Southern African country’s Government Gazette on Monday showed Starlink’s applications for a telecommunications service licence and access to radio spectrum had been turned down. The…

Read More
Namibia rejects Starlink

Namibia rejects Starlink

Namibia has turned down applications from Elon Musk’s satellite internet provider Starlink for a telecommunications service licence and access to radio spectrum, a notice in the Southern African country’s government gazette showed. The notice, dated 23 March, did not say why Starlink’s applications were declined. The Communications Regulatory Authority of Namibia could reconsider the decisions…

Read More
Starlink V2 next-gen satellites aim for terrestrial speeds

Starlink V2 next-gen satellites aim for terrestrial speeds

Starlink is preparing to launch its second generation of satellites, V2, with the ambitious goal of matching the speeds and responsiveness of traditional terrestrial networks. During a keynote at Mobile World Congress, Michael Nicolls, SpaceX’s senior vice president of Starlink engineering, explained that the ultimate objective for Starlink Mobile is to provide a connectivity experience…

Read More
Starlink escalates public campaign for South African operating licence

Starlink escalates public campaign for South African operating licence

SpaceX’s satellite internet service, Starlink, has significantly intensified its lobbying efforts to enter the South African market. The company recently published a dedicated advocacy page on its website, titled Starlink’s Efforts in South Africa, which directly addresses consumers and counters persistent criticisms regarding its licensing bid. This move follows an aggressive January campaign where Starlink…

Read More
Starlink considers building its own phone

Starlink considers building its own phone

Elon Musk. Gonzalo Fuentes/Reuters With a SpaceX public listing expected this year, the company has plans for its revenue-generating Starlink business that could expand its reach into new markets, including a Starlink phone, direct-to-device internet and a space-tracking service, sources familiar with the matter said. The star of Elon Musk’s empire, SpaceX is quickly expanding…

Read More