Rocky Road To Licensing For Starlink In Lesotho

The satellite broadband service operated by Musk's company SpaceX is facing calls to make up to 30 of the equity in its Lesotho operation available to the Basotho people as a licensing condition.

Lesotho rights group Section 2 has written to the Lesotho Communications Authority - that country's version of the Independent Communications Authority of South Africa - to object to the licensing of Starlink in the "complete absence of local ownership".

Musk recently criticised South Africa's licensing requirements for telecommunications operators like Starlink, which require a minimum 30 shareholding by "historically disadvantaged" individuals or groups, stating on X that Starlink cant get a licence in South Africa because I am not black.

Section 2, which describes itself as a "non-partisan organisation" that works to ensure "governance decisions reflect the best interests of the Basotho people", said in a statement that licensing Starlink in Lesotho without local shareholding would be a "departure from the longstanding practice of ensuring Basotho participation in the sector".

According to Starlink's service availability map , the company will launch its services in the Mountain Kingdom in 2025. In neighbouring South Africa, where Musk is pushing back against black empowerment licensing rules, the service date remains "unknown at this time".