Namibia’s Communication Regulatory Authority (CRAN) has launched an auction to assign 4G and 5G spectrums in an effort to enhance internet access, affordability, and speed for the majority of the country’s population.
The auction aims to achieve a minimum internet speed of 20 Mbps for all connectivity, with reviews in place, to meet national strategic objectives as set out in the National Broadband Policy to bridge the digital divide in Namibia.
Acting CEO of CRAN, Katrina Sikeni, noted that the authority would make spectrum available subject to the imposition of license conditions to address critical issues such as access, affordability, quality, and usage in compliance with future policy reforms.
She added, “the spectrum will be utilised to foster digital transformation beyond the delivery of broadband, through implementation of e-education, e-health, e-agriculture, e-government, and other use cases to realise the true benefits of new technologies.”
The spectrum bands being auctioned by CRAN are 694-790 MHz and 790-862 MHz allocated to International Mobile Telecommunications (IMT) services. Sikeni explained that the 700 MHz and 800 MHz bands are commonly used by Telecommunications Service Licensees to provide 4G and/or 5G mobile services in Namibia to fulfil rollout obligations aimed at ensuring communication services in all regions reach 80% of the population.
Moreover, Sikeni emphasized that the auction process would follow the provisions of the spectrum licensing regulations and processes. “Only Telecommunications Service Licensees can apply to participate in the auction process, as they were consulted on the preferred assignment method and concluded that the spectrum be made available for assignment via spectrum auction following a beauty contest model,” she noted.
The CRAN auction comes after Cabinet in December 2022 approved the deployment of the fifth generation (5G) technology in Namibia. The Ministry of Environment, Forestry and Tourism conducted a strategic environmental assessment of the introduction of 5G technology in the country, following a task from Cabinet in 2020.
The auction process seeks to improve quality of telecommunications services and inclusivity for Namibians living in unserved and underserved areas at prescribed broadband speeds and quality of service minimum parameters.
It is expected that the expansion of broadband services by licensees will significantly increase internet speed and accessibility, allowing for online teaching lessons, among other use cases.
According to the Acting CEO of CRAN, the auction process seeks to ensure that Namibians enjoy the benefits of new technologies. “This is a step towards the digital transformation of Namibia, and we are optimistic that the successful auction of 4G and 5G spectrum bands will facilitate the bridging of the digital divide,” Sikeni stated.
