Namibia Telecoms Market Report

Telecoms, Mobile and Broadband - Statistics and Analyses

Publication Date: December 2023

Report Pages: 156

Analyst: Henry Lancaster

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Summary
Table Of Contents

Regulator suspends awarding of new telecoms and broadcasting licences

The government’s Broadband Policy aims to provide 95% population coverage by 2024, supported by the efforts of telcos including Paratus Telecom which continue to invest in their own extensive network objectives.

Mobile network coverage has increased sharply in recent years. By 2021, 3G infrastructure provided 89% population coverage while LTE infrastructure provided 79% coverage (compared to only 40% a year earlier). Despite the relatively advanced nature of the market, progress towards 5G has been slow, partly due to unsubstantiated public concerns over health implications of the technology which caused the government to order an environmental assessment of 5G in mid-2020. Nevertheless, the government has requested the regulator to speed up its 5G development strategy.

The country’s flagging economy since 2016 was exacerbated by the difficulties resulting from the Covid-19 pandemic. These issues encouraged the government to pursue its plans to sell its stakes in Telecom Namibia and MTC, as well as in a number of other enterprises.

Although Namibia’s internet and broadband sector is reasonably competitive, its development was for many years held back by high prices for international bandwidth caused by the lack of a direct connection to international submarine cables. This market situation improved after operators invested in diversifying terrestrial access routes to adjacent countries. By the end of 2022 Namibia is expected to be connected by a 1,050km branch line of Google’s Equiano cable running between Portugal and South Africa.

Key developments:

Paratus and MTN Namibia sign national roaming agreement aimed at quickening the pace of LTE rollouts;
MTN Namibia engages NuRAN Wireless for the deployment of at least 150 GSM and 4G sites across the country;
Regulator suspends the issuing of new telecoms and broadcasting licences between October 2022 and September 2023, also intends to review the current frequency band plan;
Namibia to be connected to Google’s Equiano cable system; Paratus completes works on Namibian landing station;
New SIM card registration rules are put in place;
MTC completes its IPO;
Paratus to launch a N$123 million data centre facility in August 2022;
Telecom Namibia upgrades its VSAT hub to provide more reliable connectivity for users in remote areas;
Government calls for the regulator to speed up 5G development strategy;
Government launches the National Broadband Policy and Implementation Action Plan, aiming to provide a universal 2Mb/s services by 2024;
MTC nears completion of Phase 2 of its N$1 billion 081Every1 network expansion project;
Report update includes the regulator’s market report for 2020, market data to end-2021, operator data for fiscal 2021, updated Telecom Maturity Index charts and analyses, and recent market developments.

Companies mentioned in this report:

Telecom Namibia; Mobile Telecommunications (MTC); Cell One (Leo, Orascom); Powercom; MTN Business Namibia; MWEB Namibia; Africa Online Namibia; Internet Technologies Namibia; iWay

Key statistics
Regional Africa Market Comparison

Market characteristics
Market Leaders
Market Challengers
Market Emergents
TMI vs GDP
Mobile and mobile broadband penetration
Fixed versus mobile broadband penetration

Country overview
Telecommunications market

Market analysis

Regulatory environment

Regulatory authorities

Ministerial Communications Division
CRAN (formerly NCC)

Fixed-line developments

Communications Act 2009
Telecom sector liberalisation
International gateways
Privatisation
Interconnection
Number Portability (NP)
Infrastructure sharing
Universal Service

Mobile network developments

Licensing
Mobile Termination Rate (MTR)
Roaming
SIM card registration

Mobile market

Market analysis
Mobile statistics
Mobile infrastructure

5G
4G (LTE)
3G

Other infrastructure developments

GPRS/EDGE
Satellite mobile

Mobile data
Mobile broadband
Major mobile operators

MTC
Telecom Namibia Mobile
Paratus Telecom
MVNOs

Mobile content and applications

Mobile banking

Fixed-line broadband market

Introduction
Broadband statistics
Fixed-line broadband technologies

Digital Subscriber Line (DSL) networks
Fibre-to-the-Premises (FttP) networks
Other fixed-line broadband services

Digital economy

E-commerce
E-government

Fixed-network operator

Telecom Namibia

Telecommunications infrastructure

National fibre backbone networks
Next-Generation Network (NGN)
International infrastructure

Submarine cables

Smart cities

Appendix – Historic data
Glossary of abbreviations
Related reports

List of Tables

Table 1 – Top Level Country Statistics and Telco Authorities – Namibia – 2022 (e)
Table 2 – Development of telecom sector revenue ($ million) – 2011 – 2019
Table 3 – Development of mobile and total telecom sector revenue (ZAR million) – 2011 – 2019
Table 4 – Development of telecom sector investment – 2010 – 2019
Table 5 – Change in shares by revenue by operator – 2013 – 2020
Table 6 – Decline in international fixed and mobile incoming traffic (million minutes) – 2013 – 2021
Table 7 – Decline in international fixed and mobile outgoing traffic (million minutes) – 2013 – 2021
Table 8 – Growth in the number of mobile subscribers and penetration – 2012 – 2027
Table 9 – Change in the number of mobile prepaid and contract subscribers (thousand) – 2012 – 2021
Table 10 – Mobile revenue by services (N$ million) – 2012 – 2021
Table 11 – Change in SMS traffic – 2011 – 2021
Table 12 – Change in mobile outgoing voice traffic – 2012 – 2021
Table 13 – Growth in the number of active mobile broadband subscribers and penetration – 2012 – 2027
Table 14 – Dedicated and standard mobile broadband subscribers – 2011 – 2021
Table 15 – Change in the number of MTC’s mobile subscribers (thousand) – 2011 – 2021
Table 16 – Development of MTC’s mobile revenue (N$ million) – 2011 – 2021
Table 17 – Development of MTC’s revenue, EBITDA, and capex (N$ million) – 2011 – 2021
Table 18 – Development of MTC’s mobile ARPU (N$ / user / month) – 2015 – 2021
Table 19 – Growth in the number of Telecom Namibia’s mobile subscribers – 2015 – 2020
Table 20 – Development of Paratus Telecom’s financial data (N$ million) – 2018 – 2021
Table 21 – Internet users and penetration – 2011 – 2019
Table 22 – Growth in the number of fixed-line broadband subscribers and penetration – 2011 – 2027
Table 23 – Growth in the number of DSL broadband subscribers – 2012 – 2021
Table 24 – Change in the number of DSL connections by data rate – 2012 – 2021
Table 25 – Broadband revenue by technology (N$ million) – 2012 – 2020
Table 26 – Growth in the number of Telecom Namibia’s fixed broadband subscribers – 2013 – 2020
Table 27 – Increase in the number of fibre broadband subscribers – 2014 – 2021
Table 28 – Growth in the number of satellite broadband subscribers – 2012 – 2021
Table 29 – Development of Telecom Namibia’s financial data (N$ million) – 2011 – 2020
Table 30 – Development of Telecom Namibia’s revenue by type (N$ million) – 2013 – 2020
Table 31 – Change in the number of Telecom Namibia’s connections by type – 2013 – 2020
Table 32 – Change in the number of fixed lines in service and teledensity – 2011 – 2027
Table 33 – Change in fixed outgoing voice traffic – 2015 – 2021
Table 34 – Change in Telecom Namibia’s switching capacity – 2009 – 2020
Table 35 – International internet bandwidth – 2011 – 2018
Table 36 – Internet bandwidth per subscriber – 2011 – 2018
Table 37 – Historic - Fixed lines in service and teledensity – 1995 – 2010
Table 38 – Historic - Telecom sector revenue ($ million) – 2007 – 2010
Table 39 – Historic - Fixed-wireless broadband subscribers – 2013 – 2016
Table 40 – Historic - Internet users and penetration rate – 1996 – 2010
Table 41 – Historic - Mobile subscribers and penetration rate – 1995 – 2011
Table 42 – Historic - Mobile Termination Rates – 2008 – 2013
Table 43 – Historic - Fixed-line broadband subscribers – 2005 – 2010
Table 44 – Historic - MTC mobile financial data (N$ million) – 2005 – 2010
Table 45 – Historic - MTC mobile subscribers (thousand) – 2005 – 2010
Table 46 – Historic - Telecom Namibia financial data (N$ million) – 2006 – 2010
Table 47 – Historic - International internet bandwidth – 2003 – 2010
Table 48 – Historic - Internet bandwidth per subscriber – 2003 – 2010
Table 49 – Historic - Growth in the number of active mobile broadband subscribers and penetration – 2009 – 2011

List of Charts

Chart 1 – Africa Telecoms Maturity Index – Market Leaders
Chart 2 – Africa – Market Leaders global ranking
Chart 3 – Africa Telecoms Maturity Index – Market Challengers
Chart 4 – Africa – Market Challengers global ranking
Chart 5 – Africa Telecoms Maturity Index – Market Emergents
Chart 6 – Africa – Market Emergents global ranking
Chart 7 – Africa – Telecoms Maturity Index vs GDP per capita
Chart 8 – Africa – Mobile subscriber penetration vs mobile broadband penetration
Chart 9 – Africa – Fixed and mobile broadband penetration
Chart 10 – Development of telecom sector revenue – 2011 – 2019
Chart 11 – Development of mobile and total telecom sector revenue (ZAR million) – 2011 – 2019
Chart 12 – Development of telecom sector investment – 2010 – 2019
Chart 13 – Change in shares by revenue by operator – 2013 – 2020
Chart 14 – Decline in international fixed and mobile incoming traffic – 2013 – 2021
Chart 15 – Decline in international fixed and mobile outgoing traffic – 2013 – 2021
Chart 16 – Growth in the number of mobile subscribers and penetration – 2012 – 2027
Chart 17 – Change in the number of mobile prepaid and contract subscribers – 2012 – 2021
Chart 18 – Mobile revenue by services – 2012 – 2021
Chart 19 – Change in SMS traffic – 2011 – 2021
Chart 20 – Change in mobile outgoing voice traffic – 2012 – 2021
Chart 21 – Growth in the number of active mobile broadband subscribers and penetration – 2012 – 2027
Chart 22 – Dedicated and standard mobile broadband subscribers – 2011 – 2021
Chart 23 – Change in the number of MTC’s mobile subscribers – 2011 – 2021
Chart 24 – Development of MTC’s mobile revenue – 2011 – 2021
Chart 25 – Development of MTC’s revenue, EBITDA, and capex – 2011 – 2021
Chart 26 – Development of MTC’s mobile ARPU – 2015 – 2021
Chart 27 – Growth in the number of Telecom Namibia’s mobile subscribers – 2015 – 2020
Chart 28 – Internet users and penetration – 2011 – 2019
Chart 29 – Growth in the number of fixed-line broadband subscribers and penetration – 2011 – 2022
Chart 30 – Growth in the number of DSL broadband subscribers – 2012 – 2021
Chart 31 – Change in the number of DSL connections by data rate – 2012 – 2021
Chart 32 – Broadband revenue by technology – 2012 – 2020
Chart 33 – Growth in the number of Telecom Namibia’s fixed broadband subscribers – 2013 – 2020
Chart 34 – Increase in the number of fibre broadband subscribers – 2014 – 2021
Chart 35 – Growth in the number of satellite broadband subscribers – 2012 – 2021
Chart 36 – Development of Telecom Namibia’s financial data – 2011 – 2020
Chart 37 – Change in the number of Telecom Namibia’s connections by type – 2013 – 2020
Chart 38 – Change in the number of fixed lines in service and teledensity – 2011 – 2027
Chart 39 – Change in fixed outgoing voice traffic – 2015 – 2021
Chart 40 – Change in Telecom Namibia’s switching capacity – 2009 – 2020
Chart 41 – International internet bandwidth – 2011 – 2018

List of Exhibits

Exhibit 1 – Map of Telecom Maturity Index global ranking among countries in Africa
Exhibit 2 – Generalised Market Characteristics by Market Segment
Exhibit 3 – Africa – Market Leaders and market developments
Exhibit 4 – Africa – Market Challengers and market developments
Exhibit 5 – Africa – Market Emergents and market developments
Exhibit 6 – Map of Namibia

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Namibia Telecoms Market Report

Telecoms, Mobile and Broadband - Statistics and Analyses

Purchase this Report

Regulator suspends awarding of new telecoms and broadcasting licences

Key developments:

Companies mentioned in this report:

Key statistics

Regional Africa Market Comparison

Country overview

Telecommunications market

Regulatory environment

Mobile market

Fixed-line broadband market

Digital economy

Fixed-network operator

Telecommunications infrastructure

Appendix – Historic data

Glossary of abbreviations

Related reports

Purchase this Report

Share this Report

TMT Intelligence

A platform to scale your intelligence tasks

Research Methodology

Hot Topics

News & Views