30 Radio Access Network towers will be deployed in Namibia in the next three years.

Namibia plans to invest $5.9 million (N$110 million) over three years to deploy telecom towers around the country.

Minister of Information and Communications Technology (ICT), Emma Theofelus, said that 30 towers will be deployed throughout the period.

The move follows last year’s announcement by PowerCom, Namibia's telecoms infrastructure company, that the country will require approximately 300 network towers over the next three to five years.

"This initiative aims to bridge the digital divide in the unserved and underserved areas of our country by providing access to network connectivity," Theofelus said on Wednesday.

Theofelus was speaking during the 23rd ICT stakeholders' engagement meeting in the capital, Windhoek.

The event, organised by the ministry,  aimed to create communication a platform between the government and stakeholders on critical ICT development issues.

“We engaged with ICT stakeholders on pertinent matters, while also updating them on the government’s position regarding creating an enabling environment in the ICT sector,” Shoki Kandjimi, senior public relations officer at the ministry.

More than 50 sector representatives attended the forum. The Namibia Standards Institute and the National Radiation Protection Authority each gave presentations at the event.