Approval of Starlink application

REINHARDT A. KüSTERS WRITES:

Open letter to the minister of information and communication technology, Hon. Mrs. Emma Theofelus:



Dear Madam Minister,

I am writing this letter in Namibia’s open print media in the hope that it draws your attention and the seriousness of the matter at hand, because numerous complaints and petitions that have been sent to your ministry as well as the Communications Regulatory Authority of Namibia (CRAN) in respect of subject matter, have to date not garnered the desired response except for making excuses about local ownership which is preventing the approval of the Starlink license application which has now been pending for over a year.

The complaints that have been submitted by businesses and affected institutions around the country regarding the poor service quality rendered by the two communication companies, mainly Telecom Namibia (TN) and Mobile Telecommunications Company (MTC) in respect of rural network/internet connectivity in Namibia, have not only been detailed in its poor and pathetic service delivery and should have raised the necessary alarm bells about the situation that has been going on for far too long at your level as well as that of CRAN. Yet both you and CRAN have been hiding behind local ownership laws regarding the Starlink application and neither you nor CRAN have done anything to reprimand TN and MTC regarding this poor state of affairs in our rural areas.

The ministry’s and CRAN’s excuses and inaction regarding the Starlink application are a clear indication of protectionism of TN and MTC, both of whom have over the past years become dismal in their service delivery due to the fact that they are parastatals and enjoy the SWAPO Government’s protectionism. To a certain extent these companies are enjoying a monopolistic position by this type of protectionism, which has become clear for a very long time and who have been operating under the radar of the Namibian Competition Commission with impunity.

It appears that you have not done any research on the matter at hand and the effect the lack of available modern communication infrastructure is having on Namibia’s economy.

Just to put this matter into perspective for you, the following are the Namibian sectors in the rural areas that are affected and that cannot, in today’s day and age, function properly due to your office’s procrastination in refusing to approve the Starlink application:

– Agriculture: Farmers in the rural areas cannot access information regarding market trends, quicker response time from Anti Poaching units, and rising stock theft issues, as well as general law enforcement.

– Schools: Schools in rural areas are on a back leg to schools in urban areas as internet connectivity plays an important part in their tuition. This should not be denied to the next generation of Namibians based on greedy Government policies.

– Rural clinics and village hospitals: Health care worldwide is dependent on internet connectivity for a wide variety of reasons, but especially to determine symptoms of and cures for patients.

– Hospitality and tourism: Tourists visiting Namibia take it for granted that internet connectivity is available throughout the entire country and not only limited to urban areas – yet whilst this industry has relied on TN and MTC, who have in the past failed them, the approval of Starlink cannot be more urgent and more pressing as the functionality of any lodge in an urban environment requires good speed internet connectivity.

Given all of the above, it is unacceptable and inconceivable that the Government demands in return for the Starlink application to have a majority stake in its Namibian operation. The development of the Starlink programme including the launching of a multitude of low orbiting satellites, to make this service possible and effective, far exceeds the Namibian Government’s budget ten fold and to think or believe that the Namibian Government will be handed a stake in the Starlink operation for free as an African Handshake, is as far fetched as it is ludicrous and to deny the application on these grounds would be grossly negligent.

Let Starlink operate in Namibia – it is HIGH TIME that TN and MTC get some serious competition – they have for far too long been in a comfort zone at the cost of the Namibian citizen.



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