Starlink is demamded by people on the Namibia Wetlands Route in the Zambezi, they area are calling for it to do business in Namibia.
They emphasize the pressing necessity of dependable internet as their lodges are located in out of the way areas.
The unstable internet prevents normal operations per day and damages customer satisfaction.
Namibia Wetlands Route chairman Simone Micheletti stated that poor connectivity is driving customers away.
He described that unhappy customers make complains to tour operators, which results to less lodgings bookings at local lodges.
Travelers are annoyed that next door they can always get online on the internet, but Namibian internet connectivity is still a problem.
He remarked that, if rendered reliable, visitors are likely to expect to do video calls and talk with family.
Moreover, people can do activities like work from the other room,as they are digitally possible.But, the service is currently unreliable.
Micheletti noted that Botswana, Zambia and Zimbabwe have Starlink access and are more competitive.
He thinks that introducing Starlink in Namibia will have a positive effect on the tourism industry and the national economy.
Reliable internet is a prerequisite for cloud-based operations, secure transaction, and remote management of a system.
He further commented that a considerable number of lodges have installed CCTV monitoring. Because of increasing criminality, and weak internet, it makes them potential targets for security breaches.
He called for Namibia to adopt innovation and to accept new service providers.
Local internet service providers have high prices, which are not justified by the quality service.
Micheletti emphasized that not only tourism but also rural communities and young Namibians will be able to get access to low-cost, high-tech internet with help from a provider like Starlink.
Starlink, of SpaceX, provides broadband using tens of thousands of satellites launched since 2019.
However, the Communication Regulatory Authority of Namibia (Cran) banned Starlink from operating in December.
Emilia Nghikembua, CEO of Cran’s, confirmed that Starlink has submitted an application for permission.
She described in what way Namibia’s Communications Act restricts foreign ownership, by necessitating ministerial approval for coverage.
After settling those legal issues, Cran will submit Starlink’s application.
