Namibia Telecoms Market Report

Telecoms, Mobile and Broadband - Statistics and Analyses

Last updated: 16 Jun 2024 Update History

Report Status: Current

Report Pages: 174

Analyst: Henry Lancaster

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Summary
Table Of Contents

Namibia’s MNOs are cleared to launch 5G services

Namibia’s telecom market is dominated by the two state-owned operators MTC and Telecom Namibia. The lack of effective competition between them has distorted the market and led to high end-user prices, particularly for mobile broadband services. The highly responsive telecom regulator in its June 2023 Market Saturation report suggested that generating effective competition in the sector required the full privatisation of MTC and Telecom Namibia, as well allowing new players to enter the market. This in turn may require the lifting of foreign ownership rules which have thus far deterred foreign operators from investing in the market.

Mobile network coverage continues to increase across the country, with the regulator having urged the MNOs to focus investment in rural areas and thus support the government’s broadband coverage targets. The government in late 2023 lifted its moratorium against 5G deployments and the regulator followed by completing an auction of 5G-suitable spectrum in the 700MHz range. MTC began trialling 5G at the end of the year, while the regulator launched a campaign to educate the public about the benefits of 5G while dispelling the misinformation about the technology which had stymied its adoption earlier.

Key developments:

Telecom regulator starts a review of its spectrum assignment strategy through to 2027.
MTC Maris secures an e-money licence from the Bank of Namibia.
Government aiming to raise N$500 million from the sale of the remaining 9% stake in MTC which remained from the November 2021 IPO.
Regulator authorizes three licensees to trial 5G services and networks following October 2023 spectrum auction.
SIM card registration date expires, with 78% compliance.
UCOM Mobile has its spectrum licence revoked.
Report update includes the regulator’s market report for 2022, market data to December 2023, operator data for H1 2024, 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, UCOM Namibia (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

Spectrum assignment review
Spectrum auctions
Licensing
Mobile Termination Rate (MTR)
Roaming
SIM card registration
Mobile Number Portability

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 – 2024 (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 ($ and ZAR) – 2010 – 2019
Table 5 – Development of ICT sector revenue (NAD million) – 2012 – 2022
Table 6 – Development of telecom sector investment (N$ million) – 2021 – 2023
Table 7 – Change in shares by revenue by operator – 2013 – 2020
Table 8 – Decline in international fixed and mobile incoming traffic (million minutes) – 2013 – 2021
Table 9 – Decline in international fixed and mobile outgoing traffic (million minutes) – 2013 – 2023
Table 10 – Growth in the number of mobile subscribers and penetration – 2012 – 2027
Table 11 – Change in the number of mobile prepaid and contract subscribers (thousand) – 2012 – 2023
Table 12 – Mobile revenue by service (N$ million) – 2012 – 2023
Table 13 – Change in mobile outgoing voice traffic – 2012 – 2023
Table 14 – Change in SMS traffic – 2011 – 2023
Table 15 – Change in mobile data traffic – 2011 – 2023
Table 16 – Growth in mobile data revenue – 2012 – 2022
Table 17 – Growth in the number of active mobile broadband subscribers and penetration – 2012 – 2027
Table 18 – Change in the number of dedicated and standard mobile broadband subscribers – 2011 – 2023
Table 19 – Change in the number of MTC’s mobile subscribers (thousand) – 2011 – 2024
Table 20 – Development of MTC’s prepaid and contract revenue (N$ million) – 2011 – 2024
Table 21 – Development of MTC’s revenue, EBITDA, and capex (N$ million) – 2011 – 2024
Table 22 – Development of MTC’s mobile ARPU (N$ / user / month) – 2015 – 2023
Table 23 – Growth in the number of Telecom Namibia’s mobile subscribers – 2015 – 2024
Table 24 – Development of Paratus Telecom’s financial data (N$ million) – 2018 – 2024
Table 25 – Growth in the number of fixed-line broadband subscribers and penetration – 2012 – 2027
Table 26 – Change in the number of DSL broadband subscribers – 2012 – 2023
Table 27 – Change in the number of DSL connections by data rate – 2012 – 2023
Table 28 – Broadband revenue by technology (N$ million) – 2012 – 2020
Table 29 – Growth in the number of Telecom Namibia’s fixed broadband subscribers – 2013 – 2022
Table 30 – Increase in the number of fibre broadband subscribers – 2014 – 2023
Table 31 – Growth in the number of satellite broadband subscribers – 2012 – 2023
Table 32 – Development of Telecom Namibia’s financial data (N$ million) – 2011 – 2022
Table 33 – Development of Telecom Namibia’s revenue by type (N$ million) – 2017 – 2022
Table 34 – Change in the number of Telecom Namibia’s connections by type – 2013 – 2022
Table 35 – Change in the number of fixed lines in service and teledensity – 2012 – 2027
Table 36 – Change in fixed outgoing voice traffic – 2015 – 2023
Table 37 – Change in Telecom Namibia’s switching capacity – 2009 – 2022
Table 38 – Increase in international internet bandwidth – 2011 – 2018
Table 39 – Internet bandwidth per subscriber – 2011 – 2018
Table 40 – Historic - Fixed lines in service and teledensity – 1995 – 2010
Table 41 – Historic - Telecom sector revenue ($ million) – 2007 – 2010
Table 42 – Historic - Fixed-wireless broadband subscribers – 2013 – 2016
Table 43 – Historic - Internet users and penetration rate – 1996 – 2010
Table 44 – Historic - Mobile subscribers and penetration rate – 1995 – 2011
Table 45 – Historic - Mobile Termination Rates – 2008 – 2013
Table 46 – Historic - Fixed-line broadband subscribers – 2005 – 2010
Table 47 – Historic - MTC mobile financial data (N$ million) – 2005 – 2010
Table 48 – Historic - MTC mobile subscribers (thousand) – 2005 – 2010
Table 49 – Historic - Telecom Namibia financial data (N$ million) – 2006 – 2010
Table 50 – Historic - International internet bandwidth – 2003 – 2010
Table 51 – Historic - Internet bandwidth per subscriber – 2003 – 2010
Table 52 – 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 – Development of ICT sector revenue (NAD million) – 2012 – 2022
Chart 14 – Change in shares by revenue by operator – 2013 – 2020
Chart 15 – Decline in international fixed and mobile incoming traffic – 2013 – 2021
Chart 16 – Decline in international fixed and mobile outgoing traffic – 2013 – 2023
Chart 17 – Growth in the number of mobile subscribers and penetration – 2012 – 2027
Chart 18 – Change in the number of mobile prepaid and contract subscribers – 2012 – 2022
Chart 19 – Mobile revenue by services – 2012 – 2023
Chart 20 – Change in mobile outgoing voice traffic – 2012 – 2023
Chart 21 – Change in SMS traffic – 2011 – 2023
Chart 22 – Change in mobile data traffic – 2020 – 2023
Chart 23 – Change in mobile data revenue – 2012 – 2022
Chart 24 – Growth in the number of active mobile broadband subscribers and penetration – 2012 – 2027
Chart 25 – Change in the number of dedicated and standard mobile broadband subscribers – 2011 – 2023
Chart 26 – Change in the number of MTC’s mobile subscribers – 2011 – 2024
Chart 27 – Development of MTC’s prepaid and contract revenue (N$ million) – 2011 – 2024
Chart 28 – Development of MTC’s revenue, EBITDA, and capex – 2011 – 2024
Chart 29 – Development of MTC’s mobile ARPU – 2015 – 2023
Chart 30 – Growth in the number of Telecom Namibia’s mobile subscribers – 2015 – 2024
Chart 31 – Development of Paratus Telecom’s financial data – 2018 – 2024
Chart 32 – Growth in the number of fixed-line broadband subscribers and penetration – 2011 – 2022
Chart 33 – Change in the number of DSL broadband subscribers – 2012 – 2023
Chart 34 – Change in the number of DSL connections by data rate – 2012 – 2023
Chart 35 – Broadband revenue by technology – 2012 – 2020
Chart 36 – Growth in the number of Telecom Namibia’s fixed broadband subscribers – 2013 – 2022
Chart 37 – Increase in the number of fibre broadband subscribers – 2014 – 2023
Chart 38 – Growth in the number of satellite broadband subscribers – 2012 – 2023
Chart 39 – Development of Telecom Namibia’s financial data – 2011 – 2022
Chart 40 – Development of Telecom Namibia’s revenue by type – 2017 – 2022
Chart 41 – Change in the number of Telecom Namibia’s connections by type – 2013 – 2022
Chart 42 – Change in the number of fixed lines in service and teledensity – 2012 – 2027
Chart 43 – Change in fixed outgoing voice traffic – 2015 – 2023
Chart 44 – Change in Telecom Namibia’s switching capacity – 2009 – 2022
Chart 45 – Increase in 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
Exhibit 7 – Spectrum auction results – October 2023

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Namibia Telecoms Market Report

Telecoms, Mobile and Broadband - Statistics and Analyses

Purchase this Report

Namibia’s MNOs are cleared to launch 5G services

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