An application by Starlink, the internet satellite service owned by billionaire American entrepreneur Elon Musk, to operate in the southern African country was rejected because the company did not provide all the necessary information, the Botswana’s Communication Authority said.
"There were issues regarding missing requirements with the application, which were identified and pointed out," a source at the authority told TechCabal, media focused on African technologies. "They are yet to respond to the issues."
Starlink applied to launch in May 2023 and, according to Musk's company website, plans to begin operations in Botswana in the third quarter of 2024.
In December 2023, Starlink announced the availability of its services in Eswatini. The country became the eighth in Africa to receive broadband, joining Nigeria, Rwanda, Mozambique, Kenya, Kenya, Malawi, Zambia and Benin.
However, Elon Musk's company is facing regulatory complications in some African countries.
In August 2023, South Africa banned the import of Starlink kits. The country's telecommunications regulator required local internet service providers to stop purchasing, distributing, or facilitating the sale of Starlink products that provide any form of satellite access to Starlink services in South Africa.
The ban stems from a legal requirement under the Electronic Communications Act, which requires historically disadvantaged groups to own 30% of a company before it can obtain the necessary telecommunications licences to provide broadband services locally. As a result, Starlink's website states that service dates in South Africa are "unknown."
In addition, Ghana's National Communications Authority announced in December that Starlink was operating illegally in the country and advised the public not to use or supply Starlink equipment.