Lesotho Grants Operating Licence To Musk's Starlink

File photo: SpaceX founder and Tesla CEO Elon Musk speaks on a screen during the Mobile World Congress (MWC) in Barcelona, Spain,on 29 June 2021. Reuters/Nacho Doce/File Photo

The licence granted to Starlink Lesotho will be valid for 10 years, Lesotho Communications Authority (LCA) said in a statement.

The development comes as Lesotho seeks to engage with the United States on reciprocal trade tariffs after it was hit with a 50% tariff- the highest levy on US President Donald Trump's list of target economies announced earlier this month but later said would temporarily be lowered.

The LCA said the "landmark decision" to grant a licence to Starlink marked "a significant step forward in the country's digital transformation" and that it underscored "the authority's unwavering commitment to enabling a competitive, transparent, and forward-looking communications sector that fuels economic growth and fosters innovation."

Trump, on 5 March, in an address to the US Congress, referred to Lesotho as a country "no one has heard of" to laughs from his audience. Lesotho's foreign minister, Lejone Mpotjoane, later said the remark was "quite insulting".

Starlink, whose parent company is SpaceX, submitted its license application in April 2024, but it faced opposition, including from civil society groups such as Section 2.

"By proceeding with this decision, the LCA has not only disregarded the valid objections of local stakeholders but has also compromised the integrity and credibility of the regulatory process," said Section 2 coordinator Kananelo Boloetse.

"Chief among these (objections) was the fact that Starlink Lesotho is 100% foreign-owned, a factor that should have weighed heavily in a licensing process that ought to safeguard national interests and promote inclusive local participation."

Starlink operates in many African countries but has faced licensing obstacles in places like South Africa and Namibia.