Telecom Namibia has revealed that all new mobile base stations currently being deployed are 5G-enabled as it pushes ahead with efforts to modernise its network and expand access to high-speed connectivity across the country.
The announcement was made during a high-level visit by the Ministry of Information and Communication Technology (MICT) to Telecom Namibia’s head office in Windhoek this week.
Executive Director of MICT, Dr Audrin Mathe, led the delegation, which was received by Telecom CEO Dr Stanley Shanapinda and his executive team.
Dr Shanapinda said the rollout of 5G infrastructure was a key part of the company’s strategy to keep Namibia in step with global advancements in mobile technology.
“Our discussions today have laid a strong foundation for intensified collaboration, ensuring that together, we can empower every Namibian through cutting-edge ICT,” he said.
This comes after Cabinet approved the deployment of 5G technology in Namibia in 2022, which is meant to deliver higher multi-data speeds, more reliability, and massive network capacity.
The visit focused on strengthening cooperation between MICT and Telecom Namibia, with discussions covering a number of national ICT priorities.
These, the telco said, included progress on core infrastructure projects such as the OSS/BSS billing system, Fixed Mobile Core, Fibre-To-The-X (FTTX), and Radio Access Network (RAN) rollouts.
Cybersecurity was also a major talking point, with both parties highlighting the urgent need to improve data protection and establish robust systems to counter the growing threat of cybercrime.
The two sides also explored the possibility of setting a national entry-level broadband standard of 25 Mbps for both download and upload speeds.
Dr Mathe said such a benchmark was necessary to ensure all Namibians had access to reliable internet services, particularly as the country expands its participation in the digital economy.
As part of the visit, the MICT delegation toured Telecom Namibia’s data centre and billing server room to gain a better understanding of the infrastructure supporting the country’s digital services.
The engagement forms part of broader efforts to strengthen public-private partnerships in the ICT sector and deliver on the government’s digital transformation agenda.
