Namibia’s Mobile Telecommunications Company (MTC) and Huawei Technologies, a Chinese tech company, have launched a trial demonstration of the country’s first 5G technology.
The event took place in the country’s capital, Windhoek, after the Communications Regulatory Authority of Namibia (CRAN) awarded 5G licenses to three telecommunications providers in the country in October 2023, including MTC.
Before then, the Namibian government had approved the deployment of a 5G network in 2022. At the time, MTC said that it had upgraded its network infrastructure and was ready to launch 5G services.
MTC is Namibia’s largest mobile operator, controlling more than 80% of the industry and accounting for about 97% of the population. The telco is believed to have over two million active subscribers.
The three telcos CRAN granted licenses to are MTC, Telecom Namibia, and Loc8 Mobile. The licenses are valid for ten years from the date of award, but the telecom providers may renew or cancel them following regulatory guidelines.
The country’s Minister of Information, Communication, and Technology, Emma Theofelus, acknowledged that the event helped to advance the government’s Vision 2030.
He added, “The vision can only be achieved by keeping up with relevant technology, such as 5G.”
MTC also stated that it is proud to have completed a successful trial of 5G network connectivity. Michael Zhang, Huawei’s Namibia Managing Director, said the company will collaborate closely with MTC to deploy cutting-edge technologies to ensure rapid and high-quality 5G deployments.
Meanwhile, over ten African countries have launched 5G services, including Nigeria, South Africa, Kenya, Zimbabwe, and Zambia. In January 2023, Egypt’s Telecom regulator granted Telecom Egypt a 15-year 5G license, becoming the first telco in the country to receive a 5G license.
