INFORMATION AND COMMUNICATION TECHNOLOGY

COMMUNICATION REGULATORY AUTHORITY OF NAMIBIA

The Ministry of Information and Communication Technology (MICT) is the policymaker of the Information and Communication Technologies (ICT) sector, while telecommunication services and networks, broadcasting services, postal services and the allocation of radio spectrum in Namibia are regulated and supervised by the Communications Regulatory Authority of Namibia (CRAN).

In March 2023, CRAN launched its Integrated Business Strategic Plan (IBSP) for the period 1 April 2023 to 31 March 2026. The plan aims to improve service provision to customers and address the affordability of ICT services in the sector. The authority said in a news release, “The enhancement of legislative services also features prominently in areas of electronic transactions, postal, data protection, cyber security laws, implementation of Part 6 of the Communications Act (No. 8 of 2009), as well as the establishment of the Cyber Incidence Response Team in the country with provision for resources to operationalise it.”

MARKET SATURATION REPORT

A draft Market Saturation Report was published by CRAN in June 2023 for written comment by telecommunication and broadcasting service licensees. Licensees have until 24 July to provide written comments and the authority will then host two public hearings. The draft report is the outcome of a survey conducted by CRAN among ICT sector licensees in late 2022 to understand how to stimulate private-sector investment.

MOBILE TELECOMMUNICATIONS

Mobile telephone services are provided by four operators: Mobile Telecommunications Limited (MTC), TN Mobile, Mobile Telecommunications Network (MTN) Namibia and Paratus Telecommunications.

MTC dominates the mobile market share in the country’s telecommunications market with 2,356,226 pre-paid, 161,560 post-paid and 6,693 enterprise customers. Its network covers 98% of the population. TN Mobile, a subsidiary of Telecom Namibia, is the second largest mobile operator with about 285,000 subscribers.

MTC commissioned its 1000th network tower in January 2021 as part of its 081Every1 project which was launched in 2017 to connect 100% of the country to a reliable network. Since the project’s launch, 268 sites have been commissioned while a further 24 sites are under construction.

FIXED-LINE TELEPHONE SERVICES

Telecom Namibia, the only company offering fixed-line telephone services, is 100% owned by the government through Namibia Post and Telecom Holdings Limited (NPTH). Fixed-line subscriptions continued to decline as more clients are changing to mobile services and decreased from 102,796 subscribers in the third quarter of 2021 to 85,805 subscribers in the first quarter of 2023.

SIM CARD REGISTRATION

Mandatory registration of SIM cards commenced on 1 January 2023 following the publication of regulations in the Government Gazette in May 2022. All existing mobile phone subscribers must register their SIM cards by 31 December 2023, failing which unregistered SIM cards will be deactivated. Newly purchased SIM cards must be registered before they can be activated. The SIM card registration applies to Namibian nationals and foreigners for the duration of their stay in Namibia.

According to CRAN the mandatory registration is in line with international best practice and Namibia now joins 157 other countries from across the world that have already implemented mandatory SIM card registration.

PRIVATE TELECOMMUNICATIONS SECTOR

Several private companies provide internet services, network solutions and telecommunication infrastructure, among them MTN Namibia, Paratus Namibia and Africa Online.

According to CRAN’s draft Market Saturation Report, the private sector only controls 10.6% of the ICT sector assets, while the state controls 89.4%. The report states that although the private-sector asset market share has increased in the past six years it is partly due to the decline in asset values of Telecom Namibia from 51% of ICT sector assets in 2016 to 37% in 2021. The asset market share of Paratus, the only notable private-sector player in Namibia, increased from 4.1% in 2016 to 8.6% in 2021.

The report also points out that the privatisation of state-owned enterprises that operate in the ICT sector could increase competition, promote market efficiency, encourage innovation, and ultimately benefit consumers.

EQUIANO ACTIVATED

The Equiano subsea fibre optic internet cable, which was landed at Swakopmund in June 2022, was activated by Paratus, the landing partner of the cable in Namibia, in June 2023. The cable provides approximately 20 times more capacity than existing cables connecting Europe to South Africa and provides the shortest connection between Johannesburg and Europe.

Paratus Chief Executive Officer Schalk Erasmus said in a news release, “The sizeable jump in available capacity allows us to export this capacity to the rest of the region, benefiting not only Namibia but also fostering connectivity and progress across the SADC region. Equiano opens up new opportunities for competition, fair pricing, and expanded choices, unlocking the potential for economic growth and digital transformation. It strengthens Namibia’s international connectivity demands and, importantly, integrates seamlessly with the extensive terrestrial fibre network owned and operated by Paratus.”

The Namibian branching unit of the project is a public-private partnership between Paratus Namibia and Telecom Namibia. Namibia’s investment in the project is about N$260 million. The first phase of the project, which connects South Africa to Portugal, was announced by Google in 2019.

BROADCASTING SERVICES

The number of broadcasting licences approved by CRAN stood at 37 at the end of 2022. In addition to one signal broadcaster (Satelio Television Namibia) and one public broadcaster (NBC) there are also 17 commercial radio broadcasters and 14 community radio broadcasters.

Research conducted by MediametricsTM found that 40.7% of Namibians used radio as their main source of news, followed by the internet (23.6%), television (21.2%) and newspapers (12%). NBC’s Kati FM (Oshiwambo service) is the most popular radio station for 27.6% of radio listeners, followed by Kaisames FM (Nama/Damara service with 12.5%. Shipi FM, an Oshiwambo-language station, is the most popular commercial radio station.