Mobile operators in Namibia generated N$934 million in data revenue in the fourth quarter of 2025, reinforcing the segment’s position as the primary driver of growth in the telecommunications sector.
According to the latest quarterly statistics from the Communications Regulatory Authority of Namibia (CRAN), data revenue increased by 1% from N$928 million in the third quarter, offsetting a marginal decline in traditional voice services.
Voice revenue fell by 1% to N$694 million during the period, continuing a gradual downward trend, while SMS revenue remained unchanged at N$33 million.
“Data remains the main driver of mobile revenue growth, increasing from N$928 million to N$934 million, a 1% rise in Q4 2025. In contrast, voice revenue declined marginally from N$695 million to N$694 million, continuing its gradual downward trend, while SMS revenue remained stagnant at N$33 million,” CRAN said in its quarterly bulletin.
Investment in the telecommunications sector declined sharply during the quarter, falling from N$455 million in Q3 to N$128 million in Q4. CRAN attributed the drop to project-based capital expenditure cycles rather than a slowdown in sector growth.
Subscriber numbers continued to expand, with total active SIM cards rising 4% from 2.67 million in Q3 to 2.79 million in Q4. Growth was driven largely by prepaid users, which increased by 5%, while postpaid subscriptions recorded modest growth of 1%.
Mobile broadband subscriptions also increased by 4%, while dongle and router subscriptions grew by 10% from a lower base. However, internet penetration among SIM cards remained unchanged at 62%, indicating that subscriber growth slightly outpaced internet adoption.
Machine-to-machine (M2M) subscriptions declined by 2%, suggesting a degree of consolidation in enterprise Internet of Things deployments.
In the fixed segment, subscriptions continued to decline, falling by 1% to 72,626 lines, with both business and residential connections recording marginal decreases.
By contrast, fixed broadband subscriptions recorded strong growth of 8%, supported by expansion in fixed wireless services, MetroNet/Ethernet and fibre-to-the-x (FTTx) connections. Fixed wireless subscriptions increased by 40%, while MetroNet/Ethernet services rose sharply by 210%, albeit from a smaller base. FTTx subscriptions grew by 3%.
Legacy technologies continued to contract, with ADSL subscriptions declining by 1% and Voice over Internet Protocol (VoIP) subscriptions dropping significantly by 79%, largely due to consolidation of number ranges.
Traffic data showed that overall mobile voice usage remained stable, with on-net calls accounting for 97% of total minutes. International mobile traffic increased by 82%, likely reflecting pricing adjustments during the period.
SMS volumes remained steady, while mobile data usage declined by 56%, following elevated consumption in the previous quarter driven by promotional offers.
Social media traffic remained strong, with TikTok leading usage, followed by WhatsApp and Facebook.
In the fixed-line segment, Telecom Namibia recorded a 2% decline in outgoing traffic, with international minutes down 6% and on-net minutes falling by 1%. Paratus VoIP traffic declined by 15%, driven mainly by a 25% drop in off-net minutes and a 7% decline in on-net traffic.
Despite the decline, VoIP’s on-net traffic share increased to 58%, reflecting changing usage patterns within the segment.
The data highlights the continued shift in Namibia’s telecommunications sector towards data-driven services, as traditional voice and legacy technologies gradually lose ground.
