Namibia Strives for Universal Internet Connectivity

Windhoek – In a significant push towards digital inclusion, Namibian Minister of Information and Communication Technology, Peya Mushelenga, highlighted the country’s current status of internet accessibility. This announcement was made in Windhoek on Thursday, commemorating the African Telecommunications/ICT Day.

According to Namibian Press Agency (NAMPA), only 56 per cent of Namibians currently have internet access. This figure underscores the need for concerted efforts to achieve full connectivity across the nation. The minister called for increased collaboration between local and international stakeholders and mobile operators to expand network tower installations, especially in remote regions.

Mushelenga pointed out that approximately 72 per cent of the African population lacks access to mobile internet, an issue impacting almost 200 million people in areas without mobile broadband network coverage. In response, the Namibian Government plans to allocate funds in the upcoming financial year to establish network towers in regions that are commercially challenging for mobile operators. The minister also noted that 90 per cent of the Namibian population is now covered by broadband infrastructure.