Telecom Namibia is constructing a fibre network to connect the country's central government to administrative capitals in 14 regions of the country.

This is according to Telecom Namibia managing director Frans Ndoroma speaking last week at the opening of the "ICT for Development" summit in the capital Windhoek.

"We believe that a strong, reliable and nationwide ICT broadband infrastructure and global connectivity are key to the efficient functioning and development of the telecommunications industry, businesses and the economy.

"High-speed, high-quality, affordable broadband is the foundation of an innovative ICT sector which will enrich the quality of life for individuals and propel Namibia forward," said Ndoroma.

Telecom Namibia's move to build a government fibre network comes after it announced last month that it is launching a 120 Mbps broadband service in certain parts of the country.

Broadband has received a boost in Namibia thanks to the landing of the West Africa Cable System (WACS) which became operational in 2012.

But despite improvements, statistics from the International Telecommunications Union (ITU) country profile claim that only 13.9% of Namibia's 2.2 million population is using the internet.