(L to R) MTN MD Elia Tsouros and Paratus Namibia MD Andrew Hall.

Paratus runs an ISP network in addition to datacentre services in Namibia. It has entered into a partnership with MTN Namibia which will see the two firms interconnect on LTE internet roaming services across the country.

The agreement will also allow Paratus and MTN Namibia “to expand their own networks” with neither operator needing to duplicate mobile coverage in specific areas.

Paratus launched Mobile LTE services in Namibia in 2016 and says it has been expanding its coverage beyond Walvis Bay and other major corridors including Swakopmund, Okahandja, Rehoboth and Otjiwarongo.

“By partnering with MTN, we are now able to realise a faster mobile LTE roll-out as, in the past, we have been unsuccessful engaging with the dominant operators to achieve our goals,” said Paratus Namibia managing director, Andrew Hall.

“National roaming agreements are the next natural step in developing the market” and in delivering service and coverage to all customers.

Elia Tsouros, managing director for MTN Namibia, “We believe that everyone deserves the right of access to a modern, connected digital life and this agreement helps us realise our business objectives of delivering better service in Namibia. We see only positive benefit from this agreement for all.”

Regional ISPs have launched mobile LTE services that utilise hotspots or internet modems. However, in Zimbabwe, ZOL has recently restructured its mobile LTE service. It is now geo-locking coverage of its mobile LTE SIM cards to a single area covered by a single base station.