Namibia: Telecoms regulator approves cessation of Ucom Mobile’s activities
November 17th 2025
Ucom Mobile, formerly MTN Business Solutions Namibia, was majority-owned by the South African group MTN. Following the revocation of its licenses, the company was expected to cease its services by mid-2024.
The Communications Regulatory Authority of Namibia (CRAN) seized Ucom Mobile’s radio equipment on Thursday, November 13, confirming the definitive cessation of its services in the country. The regulator stated that the telecom operator was operating illegally, causing interference on radio frequencies.
“This decision was not taken lightly, but it is necessary to protect the proper use of the radio spectrum and ensure better services for customers. Ucom has had ample time since December 2023 to resolve its compliance issues, but has not done so. Customers affected by this interruption are encouraged to transfer their services to licensed operators to continue to benefit from reliable products and services in the Namibian market ,” said Mufaro Nesongano, Head of Communications and Consumer Relations at CRAN, as quoted by Namibia Business Review.
On January 15, 2024, the CRAN (Namibian Radio and Television Commission) announced the revocation of the telecom spectrum licenses granted to Ucom Mobile for non-compliance with the license conditions. According to the authority, Ucom Mobile had accumulated a total debt of 19.28 million Namibian dollars (US$1.1 million) in unpaid royalties. Furthermore, the company did not use the allocated spectrum effectively. It was required to transfer its approximately 1,000 customers to other operators within six months and to carry out an orderly cessation of its operations.
The revocation of the spectrum license and the cessation of Ucom Mobile’s operations follow the MTN Group’s divestment in Namibia, which took place in September 2022. The South African multinational had approved the transfer of its shares in MTN Business Solutions Namibia to its local partner, Profile Technologies (Pty) Ltd, as it planned to launch mobile phone services in the country. The company primarily provided internet services to individuals, financial institutions, and wholesale customers.
This seizure of Ucom Mobile’s equipment comes as Paratus, already present in the market, launched a mobile network last September. According to CRAN data, at the end of December 2023, MTC had 2.1 million telecom subscriptions (including mobile internet), representing a market share of 82%. Telecom Namibia held 454,447 subscriptions (17%), while Paratus remained marginal with only 8,941 subscriptions (0.3%).
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