Telecom Namibia is accelerating its transition from theft-prone copper-based infrastructure to fibre.
The telecommunications firm has sealed a strategic open-access partnership with Lightstruck, the fibre network operator serving Southern Africa.
It is the second such agreement the company has signed recently, following the one sealed with local fibre firm, Demshi Investment Holdings.
The latest agreement adopts an open-access infrastructure model, enabling Telecom Namibia to leverage Lightstruck’s fibre network to deliver high-speed internet services to residential and business customers.
Telecom Namibia reports that by accelerating the transition from copper-based infrastructure to fibre, it is reducing its exposure to theft-prone assets, particularly in high-risk areas.
Fibre networks are known to offer enhanced performance and reliability and are less vulnerable to theft, thereby improving network stability and ensuring a more consistent and secure service for customers.
Stanley Shanapinda, CEO of Telecom Namibia, said the signing of the partnership with Lightstruck marked a milestone in the company’s fibre expansion journey.
“It reflects our commitment to leveraging open-access networks to accelerate connectivity, enhance customer choice and deliver innovative, high-quality digital services,” he said.
Szacky Nujoma, Director at Lightstruck, said the partnership is a means to advance Telecom Namibia’s fibre connectivity across Southern African country.
“As a neutral infrastructure provider, our focus is on enabling service providers to deliver high-quality services over a reliable network,” Nujoma said.
Under the agreement, Telecom Namibia will deliver services to end-users via Lightstruck’s open-access network.
Lightstruck will be responsible for network deployment, maintenance and fibre infrastructure, while services will be provisioned and managed through Lightstruck’s service portal.
The acceleration of fibre rollout and the advancement of digital transformation are in line with objectives in Telecom Namibia’s 2025/26 Annual Operating Plan.
Copper cable theft is an escalating crisis for Telecom Namibia. It reports that repairing a breached site costs around N$100 000 (more than US$6 000).
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