In the next five years, Telecom Namibia plans to invest N$2.3 billion in upgrading fixed and mobile network infrastructure and reducing costs.
According to the incumbent operator, the project will start with the core network and access technologies. The company plans to accelerate fiber deployment to upgrade its existing 10,676 km of fiber. However, it did not specify how much it plans to invest in fiber deployment or mobile infrastructure investments. The company wants to quickly increase coverage and improve service quality.
Telecom Namibia has started reflecting on major investment plans, including upgrading 2G sites to 3G, strengthening the 4G network and introducing 5G. Its first round of investment was notably dedicated to funding Namibia’s connection to Google’s subsea cable Equiano, in partnership with Paratus.
By completing its investment projects, Telecom Namibia should be able to gain new subscribers' trust and build credibility; this will help strengthen its financial health as well as its position in the domestic telecom market. In December 2020, Telecom Namibia controlled 10% of Namibia's 2.9 million mobile subscribers, compared with 90% for MTC, according to the latest report from the Communications Regulatory Authority of Namibia (CRAN).
