Patience Makwele
Telecom Namibia says it will comply fully with a summons from the Communications Regulatory Authority of Namibia (Cran). This follows repeated nationwide broadband disruptions that have affected businesses, institutions and households.
Cran summoned the state-owned telecommunications company for an urgent briefing amid growing concerns over recurring network instability and service quality failures.
The regulator said the repeated disruptions to Telecom Namibia’s fixed broadband network are affecting communication, financial transactions, education and daily operations across the country.
Telecom Namibia said it is cooperating with Cran and will provide a full briefing on the technical causes of the disruptions and the measures being implemented to restore stability.
The company blamed the outages on infrastructure-related problems and system faults affecting both fixed broadband and mobile networks.
Telecom Namibia said technical teams remain deployed to restore services, strengthen network resilience and prevent future disruptions.
The company also admitted that recent service delivery has fallen below customer expectations and pledged to improve infrastructure, monitoring systems and customer communication.
Cran said it wants detailed explanations from Telecom Namibia on the causes of the outages, recovery measures and long-term plans to stabilise the network.
Cran chief executive officer Emilia Nghikembua said stable internet connectivity is important for Namibia’s economic growth and digital transformation.
“Consumers and businesses depend on stable and reliable connectivity for their daily activities. Licensed operators are expected to maintain minimum service quality standards while ensuring that customers are properly informed during disruptions,” Nghikembua said.
She said the regulator will assess whether Telecom Namibia’s service performance complies with Namibia’s communications laws, including consumer protection requirements.
“The Authority will further assess the sustainability and operational viability of Telecom Namibia’s services in light of the continued network instability,” Nghikembua said.
Public frustration over the outages continues to grow.
Small business owner Selma Taapopi Nghifikwa said unstable internet connectivity has disrupted electronic payments and customer communication.
“There are days when clients cannot make online payments or we fail to respond to orders because the network suddenly disappears,” Nghifikwa said. “For us small business owners, internet connectivity is no longer optional. When the network fails, business comes to a standstill.”
Students have also raised concerns over repeated outages affecting online learning and research.
University student Elvis Ndjavera said the company’s affordable data bundles become less useful when the network is unstable.
“Their data packages are affordable and budget-friendly with data bundles that last longer, but the problem comes when you buy data expecting to work online, but sometimes the connection becomes unreliable for hours. In most cases our assignments, online submissions and research are all affected when the network keeps failing, and in most cases other students end up missing deadlines,” Ndjavera said.
ICT analyst and telecommunications researcher Dr Renson Tomas said the recurring outages expose weaknesses in Namibia’s telecommunications infrastructure.
“Reliable internet connectivity is no longer a luxury or convenience. It has become a critical pillar of economic activity, education, banking systems, public administration and national productivity,” Tomas said.
He warned that repeated broadband failures could damage confidence in Namibia’s digital transformation plans if infrastructure investment is not prioritised.
“When internet disruptions become frequent and prolonged, the effects ripple across the economy. Businesses lose productivity, students lose access to learning resources and public trust in digital systems begins to decline,” he said.
Tomas said operators face growing pressure to modernise ageing infrastructure while managing rising demand for data services.
“The reality is that Namibia’s dependence on digital systems is expanding faster than some network infrastructure is evolving. Operators now need stronger redundancy systems, faster fault recovery mechanisms and more aggressive infrastructure investment if they want to maintain service reliability,” he said.
Information technology and economic commentator Gertrude Roxane Boois said network instability could also affect investor confidence and economic efficiency as more sectors move towards digital operations.
“Internet connectivity now underpins trade, financial services, government systems and entrepreneurship. When network reliability becomes unpredictable, it directly affects economic efficiency and investor confidence,” Boois said.
She said ongoing outages could widen the digital divide between urban and rural communities.
“Namibia cannot fully pursue digital inclusion while large sections of consumers continue to experience unstable connectivity. Reliable telecommunications infrastructure is now part of national development infrastructure in the same way roads, electricity and water are,” she said.
Boois also said debates around alternative satellite internet providers such as Starlink show the growing urgency around Namibia’s connectivity challenges.
“Cases such as Starlink bring into focus the tension between regulatory sovereignty, local ownership requirements and the urgent need for expanded broadband coverage,” she said.
“While regulatory frameworks are important for national control and participation, they must also be weighed against the economic cost of limited connectivity, especially in rural and underserved areas.”
She said the broader debate is about whether Namibia’s current infrastructure and regulatory systems are flexible enough to support the country’s digital transformation goals.
“If connectivity challenges persist, pressure will continue to grow for alternative solutions, whether through existing operators or new satellite-based technologies,” Boois said.
