Namibia mobile telco strives to bridge urban-rural digital divide

WINDHOEK, Jan. 25 — Namibia’s largest mobile telecommunications company MTC has commissioned 268 network sites across the country, while 24 sites are currently under construction as part of the 081Every1 Project launched in 2017, an official said Tuesday.
Of the 268 sites constructed to unlock Namibians to digitalization and bridge the urban-rural digital divide, 221 are rural sites and 47 are urban sites.
Namibia’s Minister of Information and Communication Technology Peya Mushelenga said in a statement at the unveiling of the 1,000th network tower that telecommunications infrastructures are among factors such as electricity and water supply, transport, and data communications systems that smart businesses look at before they take their investments there.
“We need to make the presence of such factors a reality in remote areas so that we can attract investors. This is an era of e-commerce, and leadership in telecommunications is utterly essential and an economic imperative,” Mushelenga said while he lauded MTC for its efforts in providing connection to the country.
MTC Managing Director Licky Erastus said under the 081Every1 Project, the sites have been upgraded from 2G to 3G and 4G to unlock Namibians to digitalization.
“We want our people, regardless of where they are, to be digitally enabled and have access to e-services. I must submit that very soon MTC will be setting in motion the rollout of 5G technology so that we will upscale and ready this nation for the Fourth Industrial Revolution,” said Erastus.
Namibia’s cabinet in December approved the deployment of the 5G technology in the country, while the Communications Regulatory Authority of Namibia stated that it will issue a spectrum for 5G by March 2023.  (Xinhua)