• Namibia seizes Ucom Mobile equipment over illegal operations, ends its services

• CRAN cites $1.1M in unpaid fees; licenses revoked in January 2024

• Market shifts continue; MTC leads with 82% of telecom subscriptions

Namibia’s communications regulator has seized radio equipment belonging to Ucom Mobile, effectively ending the operator’s services in the country. The Communications Regulatory Authority of Namibia (CRAN) said the company had been operating illegally and was causing interference with licensed radio frequencies.

Mufaro Nesongano, CRAN’s Head of Communications and Consumer Relations, said in a statement quoted by Namibia Business Review that the measure was necessary to protect the radio spectrum and ensure reliable service for consumers. He noted that Ucom had been given time since December 2023 to resolve its compliance issues, but failed to do so. The statement encouraged affected customers to switch to licensed operators to maintain service.

Licenses Revoked Over Unpaid Fees

CRAN revoked Ucom Mobile’s spectrum licenses on January 15, 2024, citing non-compliance with regulatory conditions. According to the regulator, the company owed NAD 19.28 million ($1.1 million) in unpaid regulatory fees and had not made effective use of its assigned spectrum. Ucom was instructed to transfer its roughly 1,000 customers to other operators and wind down its operations in an orderly manner within six months.

Ucom’s shutdown follows MTN Group’s exit from Namibia in September 2022, when the South African operator transferred its shares in MTN Business Solutions Namibia to its local partner, Profile Technologies. At the time, Ucom was preparing to enter the mobile market. The company mainly provided internet services to individuals, financial institutions, and wholesale clients.

The equipment seizure comes as the telecom market shifts, including the September launch of a mobile network by existing operator Paratus. By the end of December 2023, CRAN data showed market leader MTC held 2.1 million telecom subscriptions, or 82 percent of the market. Telecom Namibia accounted for 454,447 subscriptions (17 percent), while Paratus had 8,941 (0.3 percent).

Isaac K. Kassouwi