• Telecom Namibia secured $23.9 million in financing to expand broadband and mobile infrastructure.

• Around 35% of Namibia’s population remained offline in 2024, highlighting a significant digital gap.

• Authorities plan to phase out 2G and 3G networks and target minimum internet speeds of 25 Mbps by October 2026.

State-owned operator Telecom Namibia secured financing of 405 million Namibian dollars ($23.9 million) from a local bank to modernize and expand infrastructure across the country. The initiative aligns with government ambitions to expand access to telecommunications services nationwide.

Rand Merchant Bank Namibia (RMB Namibia) revealed the financing on Wednesday, March 25, in a statement cited by the Namibia Press Agency (NAMPA). The bank structured the funding as a seven-year social loan to support Telecom Namibia’s five-year transformation strategy.

Telecom Namibia plans to use the funds to expand broadband access and strengthen mobile network capacity nationwide. According to NAMPA, CEO Stanley Shanapinda stated that the investment aligns with national development priorities and aims to provide citizens with reliable and affordable digital services across communication, education, healthcare, and commerce.

“The main objective of Telecom is to ensure that every citizen can access and use entertainment, communication, information, education, commerce, and healthcare services online through fast, reliable, and affordable internet, voice, and data connectivity,” he said, according to NAMPA.

This initiative follows the telecom regulator’s announcement, about two months earlier, of a phased shutdown of 2G and 3G networks starting this year. Authorities require telecom operators to prioritize 4G and 5G technologies, which offer higher performance to meet rising demand for broadband connectivity amid accelerated digital transformation.

The government targets a minimum internet speed of 25 Mbps by October 2026, compared with 2 Mbps in September 2025.

At the same time, stakeholders have considered satellite technology to accelerate nationwide coverage. According to the “Mobile Connectivity Index 2025” published by the GSMA, 2G and 3G networks currently cover 100% and 95% of the population, respectively, while 4G coverage reaches 86.5%.

The Communications Regulatory Authority of Namibia (CRAN) reported that 360,000 Namibians, or about 12% of the population, lacked 4G coverage as of February 2024. The World Bank estimates Namibia’s population at 3.03 million.

Despite infrastructure progress, usage gaps remain significant. The ITU estimates mobile penetration at 79.7% of the population in 2024, while internet penetration stands at 64.9%.

According to data cited by Starlink, which seeks to enter Namibia’s telecom market, more than one million Namibians remain offline, particularly in rural areas.

This article was initially published in French by Isaac K. Kassouwi

Adapted in English by Ange J.A de Berry Quenum