A lack of census among City of Windhoek Councilors has stalled plans by the municipality to move ahead with the implementation of its much-touted fibre project.
According to the City’s Spokesperson, Harold Akwenye, there hasn’t been much movement when it comes to the realization of the project after the municipality was awarded a Class Comprehensive Electronic Communication Network Services and Electronic Communications Services licence by the Communications Regulatory Authority of Namibia (Cran) in March of last year.
He said the municipality remains keen on the project; however, council is still to approve the setting up of a Special Purpose Vehicle (SPV), which will implement the venture.
“Yes, the City of Windhoek is still keen on exploring the benefits of unlocking the benefits of the said project. The project is awaiting a final decision by council on the setup of the SPV. Attaining consensus among the city’s leadership despite the numerous benefits that can be derived from this project for the citizens of the city,” he told The Brief.
On whether the delays in implementing the fibre project will impact the City’s timelines in attaining smart city status, Akwenye said, “yes they do. But it’s better to get it right than to rush and end up with a half-baked cake.”
The city’s Transformational Strategic Plan for 2017 to 2022 states that it “wishes to become a smart and caring city by 2022”.
The municipality is also still to allocate funding towards the project and appoint a technical partner.
Other telcos had objected to Cran awarding the City a licence.
