Namibia: Telecom Given Four Months to Fix Network Problems

Following months of complaints from customers over poor network service, dropped calls and internet outages, the Communications Regulatory Authority of Namibia (CRAN) has ordered Telecom Namibia to take urgent steps to stabilise its network and improve service delivery.

The regulator's intervention comes after a series of outages between January and May this year that have disrupted mobile data, voice calls, and SMS services across the country.

Speaking after a meeting with Telecom Namibia on 3 June, CRAN chief executive officer Emilia Nghikembua said the outages were widespread and affected customers nationwide.

"Between January and May 2026, Telecom Namibia recorded several service outages, pointing to persistent network instability. These were not minor, localised glitches, but repeated nationwide disruptions affecting mobile data, voice calls and text messaging across the country," she said.

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According to CRAN, the outages were caused by equipment failures, power supply problems, fibre breaks, hardware faults and copper theft.

Nghikembua said copper theft remains one of the biggest threats to the network, with more than 80 incidents recorded between February and May this year.

"One of the major concerns driving these disruptions is copper theft, with more than 80 reported cases in just four months," she said.

The regulator has given Telecom Namibia four months to implement short-term measures to improve network stability.

These include replacing ageing equipment, strengthening backup power systems, improving international connectivity and stepping up efforts to combat copper theft and vandalism.

At the same time, Telecom Namibia has announced a broader network upgrade programme to improve service reliability and customer experience.

The company plans to replace critical network equipment, expand its fibre infrastructure, upgrade its backbone network, and modernise systems supporting voice, SMS, and mobile data services.

Telecom Namibia said customers should begin seeing improvements by October this year, including fewer outages, better internet stability and faster fault repairs.

Further upgrades are expected by December, while major phases of the modernisation programme are expected to be completed by June 2027.

CRAN also raised concerns about the quality of service provided to customers, saying current performance does not meet the minimum standards set by telecommunications regulations.

Consumers experiencing service problems have been urged to report faults to Telecom Namibia first.

The company is required to acknowledge complaints within 24 hours and resolve them within 14 days. Regulations also require that 90% of faults be fixed within 48 hours and all faults within five working days.

Nghikembua said customers whose complaints are not resolved within the required period may cancel their contracts without paying early termination penalties.

"Should Telecom fail to meet these minimum parameters, the consumer may elect to terminate their agreement without incurring early termination penalties," she said.

CRAN said it will closely monitor Telecom Namibia's progress and will take enforcement action if the company fails to meet its obligations.

The regulator warned that fines and other penalties could be imposed if the operator does not comply with quality-of-service requirements.

"CRAN remains committed to ensuring that Telecom Namibia delivers services that meet consumer expectations," Nghikembua said.

The regulator also called on members of the public to help protect telecommunications infrastructure by reporting cases of vandalism and copper theft.

As part of its efforts to restore stability, Telecom Namibia has launched an extensive network modernisation programme to improve service reliability and the customer experience.

The programme includes replacing ageing equipment, upgrading the national backbone network, expanding international connectivity, modernising mobile core infrastructure and accelerating fibre deployment across the country.

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Telecom Namibia said customers should begin to experience improvements by October this year, with further upgrades expected by the end of 2026, and key phases of the project scheduled for completion by June 2027.

Telecom Namibia said it is working with law enforcement agencies, government institutions and local communities to combat the problem. The company also appealed to members of the public to report suspicious activities involving telecommunications infrastructure.

"The upgrade programme forms part of its efforts to improve customer experience and support the country's growing digital economy," Telecom said.

The company pledged to provide regular updates on the progress of the improvements and reaffirmed its commitment to delivering reliable telecommunications services to customers nationwide.

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