AfriForum has submitted written comments to the Independent Communications Authority of SA (ICASA), calling on the telecoms regulator to “drop its strict race criteria that currently encumber the granting of a South African licence to satellite internet service Starlink”.
This comes as ICASA chairperson Mothibi Ramusi told ITWeb TV the regulator is yet to receive a formal application from Starlink to allow its services to operate in the country.
The chairperson indicated ICASA issues licences to companies like Starlink that want to offer their services in SA, adding that the licences have specific conditions.
The chairperson was speaking to the 30% BEE requirement that forms part of the licensing process to which a company like Starlink would have to conform.
In a statement, AfriForum says it has submitted its comments in response to the proposed new “Licensing Framework for Satellite Services” that is currently before ICASA and open for public comment.
It argues that racially discriminatory criteria, in the form of strict race-based ownership requirements, should be scrapped from ICASA’s requirements for internet service providers.
Ernst van Zyl, head of public relations at AfriForum, points out that only 15 of the 54 African countries do not have a timeframe for the commissioning of Starlink.
According to the civil rights organisation, SA has serious problems with rural safety. “A significant contributing factor to this crisis is the unreliable or absent cellphone signal. For example, a stable internet connection for emergency communication and the efficient functioning of security cameras are crucial for security in rural areas. Cellphone towers are also prone to weaker or non-existent signal during power outages.”
Van Zyl adds: “The improved communication capabilities that Starlink will offer South Africa will make a great contribution in preventing crime and improving crime response times, especially in rural areas where cellphone reception is often unreliable or completely absent.
“By blocking Starlink from operating in South Africa on racial grounds, ICASA deprives rural communities of a reliable alternative that could save lives. With this, South Africa is falling behind in the rest of the world, Africa and the Southern African region in terms of access to this new technology.”
Elon Musk’s Starlink has launched in SA’s Southern African peers, notably Botswana, Mozambique, Nigeria and Zambia.
South Africans have been waiting for the service in the country since 2021, with the Starlink coverage map showing the date for the service’s availability in the country as still “unknown”.
Musk recently responded to a tweet on his X platform (formerly Twitter), saying the satellite service is “waiting for regulatory approval” in the country.
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