Mobile Telecommunications (MTC) Limited says it has upgraded its network infrastructure to ensure that its network is ready to deploy 5G technology in preparation for future lifting of the country’s existing moratorium.
“A few weeks ago the Minister of ICT [Peya Mushelenga] announced that [the] government is supporting that (5G moratorium), so, we are yet to see progress on the moratorium and when it will be lifted. However, based on the strategy of the regulator in terms of research and deployment, they gave dates of between next year March 2023 to June,” MTC CEO Licky Erastus said on Thursday.
“As MTC, we are still waiting on the moratorium when it will be lifted so we can carry on. Our plans stopped in 2020 when the moratorium was effected due to the Covid-19 conspiracies, however, we did not stop as we had to do some upgrades on our infrastructures so that we can be in line.
“Among the infrastructures, we worked on is the cloud, thus to remain ready for the future technology, in other words, we are ready to implement 5G.”
In the same vein, he said MTC is broadening up from being only a connectivity and voice call provider, but exploring the digital business.
“We want to be involved in the digital business, digging into the economic world with the inclusion of Namibia. To do business now one does not require to relocate, everything is now virtual and can be done anywhere for as long you have the right tools,” said Erastus, while explaining whether MTC is planning to expand to international markets.
Through that venture, he said they have entered into 40 plus smart-partnerships to explore the digital market, with the use of innovative ways.
This comes as the telco has appealed to the government to lift the moratorium placed on 5G technology in the country, citing the technology as a key enabler towards the fourth Industrial Revolution.
In 2020 the Cabinet tasked the Ministry of Environment, Forestry and Tourism to conduct a strategic environmental assessment of the introduction of 5G technology in the country.
The government also asked the Communications Regulatory Authority of Namibia, through the Ministry of Information and Communication Technology, to accelerate the development of a 5G strategy for Namibia, which will be submitted to Cabinet for consideration.
The fifth generation technology (5G) is the next generation of mobile internet connection and offers faster download rates.
Some conspiracy theories have linked 5G networks, which is the fifth generation of wireless communications technologies supporting cellular data networks, to the coronavirus pandemic.
Zambia last month became the latest African market to get 5G services, with the rollout of 5G ramping up in recent months, notably, Safaricom launching 5G services in Kenya, Vodacom doing similar in Tanzania, Telkom in South Africa, MTN in Nigeria, with Orange having switched on 5G services in Botswana.
