CHAMWE KAIRA
The telecommunications sector attracted N$411 million in investment during the first quarter of 2026, more than double the amount recorded in the previous quarter, according to the Communications Regulatory Authority of Namibia (CRAN).
In its Quarterly Statistics Bulletin for January to March 2026, CRAN said the increase was largely driven by network upgrades and universal service rollout initiatives.
Mobile Telecommunications Limited (MTC) accounted for 73% of the total investment, followed by Paratus Telecom with 14% and Telecom Namibia with 12%.
Despite the higher investment, the total number of active mobile SIM card subscriptions declined slightly from 2.788 million in the fourth quarter of 2025 to 2.746 million in the first quarter of 2026. The decline was mainly due to a 2% drop in prepaid subscriptions, while postpaid subscriptions increased by 1%.
CRAN said mobile broadband usage remained stable, with 64% of active SIM cards accessing internet services during the quarter, reflecting sustained demand for mobile broadband connectivity and digital services.
Machine-to-Machine (M2M) subscriptions remained unchanged.
Mobile voice traffic remained relatively stable during the quarter. TN Mobile recorded a 6% increase in outgoing call minutes, while MTC experienced a 1% decline.
MTC also maintained a high on-net calling rate, with 97% of its calls terminated within its own network.
International outgoing voice traffic declined across operators, with TN Mobile recording the largest decrease of 21%.
CRAN attributed the decline partly to increased use of data-based communication services, as overall mobile data consumption rose by 6% during the quarter.
SMS traffic increased by 14%, reversing the relatively stable trend observed in previous quarters.
The increase was driven largely by Paratus Telecom’s entry into mobile services, which resulted in a 95% increase in its SMS traffic. MTC recorded a 14% increase in SMS volumes, while TN Mobile experienced a 7% decline.
Social media usage remained strong, with TikTok recording the highest consumption levels and growing by 7% compared to the previous quarter.
Facebook usage increased by 5%, YouTube by 5%, while WhatsApp usage declined by 2%.
Overall, fixed broadband subscriptions increased by 5%, driven primarily by fibre services, which grew by 10%.
Legacy technologies continued to decline, with ADSL subscriptions falling by 2%, MetroNet by 30%, and satellite/VSAT services by 8%.
Employment in the ICT sector remained stable, with approximately 2,130 employees recorded at the end of March 2026.
In the broadcasting sector, Pay TV subscriptions increased by 2%, mainly due to growth in satellite subscriptions.
CRAN said demand may have been supported by sports programming following the conclusion of the Premier League season and noted that the upcoming FIFA World Cup 2026 could further influence subscription trends.
Broadcasting revenue declined by 7% during the quarter, while advertising’s contribution to total broadcasting revenue fell from 13% in the previous quarter to 11%.
In the postal sector, nine new post offices were established, bringing the proportion of postal establishments located in rural areas to 84%, reflecting NamPost’s continued efforts to expand universal postal service coverage.
