The communications regulatory authority of Namibia (CRAN) declared that the awards of new telecommunications and broadcasting licenses will be suspended from Oct. 1, 2022, to Sept. 30, 2023.
According to CRAN CEO Emilia Nghikembua, the regulator “will not accept new applications during the period, but will consider applications for amendment, withdrawal, transfer, and cession of existing telecommunications or broadcasting service licenses when practically possible.” She added that CRAN will accept applications for spectrum licenses from existing service licensees only, and spectrum applications for bands that are service license-exempt.
In addition, Namibia plans to conduct a market study, which will be based on a fixed data set to know how many telecommunications and broadcast licenses are currently in use.
"While the temporary postponement of the award of new telecommunications and broadcasting service licenses will impact the business plans of prospective providers or telecommunications and broadcasting services, it is paramount that CRAN continuously intervenes in the market dynamics to ensure fair competition, and remove barriers to market entry for the benefit of consumers," Nghikembua explains.
