Dr. Stanley Shanapinda, CEO, Telecom Namibia

Telecom Namibia believes its investment of approximately N$494.4 million ($26m) in deals with technology partners provides the groundwork for improved network infrastructure and connectivity.

Major agreements were recently made by the company with the Chinese-based organisation Huawei and the Spanish enterprise SATEC organisation.

The agreements are part of the Namibian company's turnaround strategy, which is detailed in its 2027 integrated strategic business plan.

Telecom Namibia partnered with SATEC in November for a next-generation infrastructure for unified billing and customer administration across fixed and mobile services, worth N$327 million (US$17.2m).

"This cloud-powered revolution streamlines operations, improves customer experience, and opens up future-proof opportunities for a connected Namibia," the operator said in a trade update.

Last week, Telecom Namibia formed another alliance with SATEC and Qvantel, a Finnish-based business support systems (BSS) firm, to install Flex BSS for all services, including mobile, landline, and value-added services.

Previously, the operator invested more than N$167.41 million (US$8.82m) in a contract with Huawei to deliver a fixed-mobile convergence core network.

“As we embrace the future of connectivity, Telecom Namibia is energised by the achievements of the past year and committed to even better services to our customers. We will continue to invest in network infrastructure, enhance the customer experience and contribute to the development of the ICT sector in Namibia,” it stated.

Also in 2023, the national telecom operator signed a memorandum of understanding with CENORED, electricity distribution utility, to ensure continued operations during power shortages.

Telecom Namibia has the biggest fixed network market share (more than 89 percent), but just 10 percent in mobile.