The Namibian government has made information and communication technologies an essential part of the country’s development. The telecom regulator wants to guarantee access to telecom services for the entire population to accelerate the government’s development ambitions. 

Emilia Nghikembua, chief executive of the Communications Regulatory Authority of Namibia (CRAN), has called for more private sector investment to improve telecom network coverage, especially 4G, in the country. She made this call on the occasion of the launch of the CRAN report on the telecommunications market for the year 2021.

“  Currently, Namibia has a 2G population coverage of 96%, a 3G population coverage of 89% and a 4G population coverage of 79%. Kunene, Kavango West and Omaheke regions have less than 50% 4G population coverage. Ideally, it should be 98%  ,” the report says.

This call from the regulator comes in a context marked by strong demand for broadband connectivity and the acceleration of digital transformation in Africa. Information and Communication Technology (ICT) is at the heart of the various development strategies implemented by the Namibian government, including the Fifth National Development Program (NDP5), the Harambee Prosperity Plan II (HPP II) and Vision 2030. The latter sees the ICT sector becoming the most important sector of the Namibian economy by 2030.

According to CRAN, Namibia has 2.8 million mobile phone subscribers, representing a penetration of 115.7%. However, the actual numbers should be less as some people hold multiple SIM cards registered in their name.

Ms. Nghikembua said CRAN will do more to promote technological innovation and improve service quality and customer experience. The Namibian telecoms regulator intends in particular to issue more frequencies to telecoms operators and to set up a fund for universal service.

Source: Agence Ecofin