WINDHOEK, May 21 — Namibia is considering raising the minimum download speed to 25 Megabits per second (Mbps) and upload speed to 3 Mbps, as per the decision of the Southern African Development Community ministers responsible for ICT, a government official said Wednesday.
This potential change is a significant improvement from the current 2 Mbps standard defined in the National Broadband Policy, said Audrin Mathe, executive director in the Ministry of Information and Communication Technology, at a stakeholders’ meeting on the proposed broadband speed in Windhoek.
“In this rapidly evolving digital landscape, reliable and high-speed internet connectivity is no longer a luxury; it has become the essential foundation of information and entertainment, education, healthcare, innovation, commerce, governance, and virtually every aspect of modern life,” he said.
Mathe stressed that the engagement serves as “a decisive call to action,” providing a platform to align strategic objectives, share insights, and explore cost-effective strategies to redefine connectivity standards without burdening consumers financially. Acknowledging the challenges posed by older technologies like 2G, 3G, and WiMAX, and their technical and geographical limitations, Mathe said he is confident that more capable technologies such as 4G, 5G, Wi-Fi 6, fiber optics, and high-throughput satellites can not only meet but exceed the proposed 25 Mbps directive.
“The question before us is not whether these technologies can deliver the required performance, but rather how we can deploy them efficiently, equitably, and affordably across our diverse national landscape,” he added. (Xinhua)
