Starlink’s planned expansion into South Africa has hit a major setback as the satellite company officially withdraws from regulatory hearings led by the Independent Communications Authority of South Africa (ICASA).
According to an ICASA spokesperson, SpaceX, Starlink’s parent company owned by the world’s richest man Elon Musk, formally notified the telecom regulator on Wednesday evening that it would not participate in the oral hearings. The notice came just hours after SpaceX representatives failed to appear for their scheduled presentation that morning.
ICASA launched these hearings to gather industry input on its proposed South African satellite services licensing framework. A key objective is to establish a registration process for international satellite operators looking to provide services directly or through partnerships with licensed local providers.