Telecom Namibia is increasing initiatives to strengthen its infrastructure in order to improve its network and be more competitive on the national market. The company announced in July 2022 that it would invest N$2.3 billion in its network infrastructure over five years.
State-owned Telecom Namibia plans to deploy 500 new telecom towers across Namibia over the next five years to improve the quality and coverage of its network. This was revealed by Stanley Shanapinda, general manager of the telecoms company, on Tuesday October 10, on the sidelines of the 7th national ICT summit which was held from October 9 to 11.
This initiative is part of Telecom Namibia’s telecoms network modernization strategy announced in January 2021 to meet strong demand and consumer demands. The company revealed in July 2022 that it would invest N$2.3 billion ($154.46 million) in its fixed and mobile network infrastructure over five years. It also invested $5 million for the installation of Google’s Equiano submarine fiber optic cable, in partnership with Paratus.
Once deployed, the 500 new telecom towers are expected to help Telecom Namibia reach thousands more people and meet the growing demand for high-speed connectivity. “ There are a lot of people who have been left behind when it comes to connectivity. For us operators, these are the key issues we need to address if we want to bridge the digital divide ,” Mr Shanapinda said.
The initiative is also expected to help strengthen the financial health of Telecom Namibia as well as its position in the national telecoms market. According to the latest report from the Communications Regulatory Authority of Namibia (CRAN), Telecom Namibia controlled 10% of the 2.9 million mobile subscribers, compared to 90% for its rival MTC, as of December 2020.