Lesotho has granted a licence to Elon Musk’s Starlink to function a satellite tv for pc community and supply satellite tv for pc web companies, the nation’s communications authority mentioned on Monday.
The licence granted to Starlink Lesotho might be legitimate for 10 years, the Lesotho Communications Authority (LCA) mentioned in a press release.
The event comes as Lesotho seeks to have interaction with the US on reciprocal commerce tariffs after it was hit with a 50% tariff, the very best levy on US President Donald Trump’s listing of goal economies introduced earlier this month however later mentioned would quickly be lowered.
The LCA mentioned the “landmark determination” to grant a licence to Starlink marked “a major step ahead within the nation’s digital transformation” and that it underscored “the authority’s unwavering dedication to enabling a aggressive, clear and forward-looking communications sector that fuels financial development and fosters innovation”.
Trump on 5 March, in an tackle to the US congress referred to Lesotho as a rustic “nobody has heard of” to laughs from his viewers. Lesotho’s international minister, Lejone Mpotjoane, later mentioned the comment was “fairly insulting”.
Starlink, whose guardian firm is SpaceX, submitted its licence software in April 2024 however it confronted opposition together with from civil society teams resembling Part 2.
‘Legitimate objections’
“By continuing with this determination, the LCA has not solely disregarded the legitimate objections of native stakeholders however has additionally compromised the integrity and credibility of the regulatory course of,” mentioned Part 2 coordinator Kananelo Boloetse.
“Chief amongst these [objections] was the truth that Starlink Lesotho is 100% international owned, an element that ought to have weighed closely in a licensing course of that must safeguard nationwide pursuits and promote inclusive native participation.”
Learn: Rocky highway to licensing for Starlink in Lesotho
Starlink operates in lots of African international locations, however has confronted licensing obstacles in locations like South Africa and Namibia. — Marafaele Mohloboli, (c) 2025 Reuters
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