Telecommunications in Namibia

Template:Short description Telecommunications in Namibia include radio, television, fixed and mobile telephones, and the Internet.

Radio and television

Per 1,000 inhabitants, there were 50 TV sets and 137 radio sets in Namibia in 2008.<ref>Template:Cite journalTemplate:Dead link</ref>

• Radio stations:<ref name=CIAWFB-Namibia-2014>"Communications: Namibia" Template:Webarchive, World Factbook, U.S. Central Intelligence Agency, 7 January 2014. Retrieved 20 January 2014.</ref>
  • State-run radio service broadcasts in multiple languages; about a dozen private radio stations; transmissions of multiple international broadcasters are available (2007);
  • AM 2, FM 39, shortwave 4 (2001);
  • AM 2, FM 34, shortwave 5 (1998).

Since Independence in 1990, Namibia has seen a dramatic growth in radio stations, with both commercial (for instance Radio 99, Radio Wave, Radio Energy, Omulunga Radio, West Coast FM, etc.) and community (UNAM Radio, Katutura Community Radio, etc.) receiving licences. Most of these stations broadcast various types of music format, and political discussions, news and phone-in programs remain mostly the domain of the national broadcaster (NBC) which broadcasts nine radio services nationally (in various Namibian languages, including German - the only full-time German service outside of Europe), plus the new !Ha service, broadcasting to the San community in Tsumkwe.<ref>Template:Cite book</ref>

• Television stations: 1 private and 1 state-run TV station; satellite and cable TV service is available; transmissions of multiple international broadcasters are available (2007).<ref name=CIAWFB-Namibia-2014/>

The television network with the widest transmission range is the Namibian Broadcasting Corporation (NBC, not to be confused with the American NBC network). The NBC is the successor to the South Africa–run South West African Broadcasting Corporation (SWABC), which was modeled on the original SABC. Like the radio services of the NBC, the television service tries to cater to all the linguistic audiences in Namibia, although the dominant language is English (Namibia's official language).<ref name=":0">Template:Cite book</ref>

The commercial "free to air" station is One Africa Television, the successor to the now defunct TV Africa. It has expanded its transmitter network and is now available in most major towns and cities in Namibia. In 2007 it commenced broadcasting a local television news bulletin each evening.<ref name=":0" />

The Trinity Broadcasting Network (TBN) is a religion television station, with some material originating locally, although also carrying relays from the United States. It is based in Windhoek and holds a community television licence granted in 2001.<ref>Template:Cite web</ref>

Telephones

• Calling code: +264<ref name=CIAWFB-Namibia-2014/>
• International call prefix: 00<ref>Dialing Procedures (International Prefix, National (Trunk) Prefix and National (Significant) Number) (in Accordance with ITY-T Recommendation E.164 (11/2010)) Template:Webarchive, Annex to ITU Operational Bulletin No. 994-15.XII.2011, International Telecommunication Union (ITU, Geneva), 15 December 2011. Retrieved 2 January 2014.</ref>
• Main lines in use:<ref name=CIAWFB-Namibia-2014/>
  • 144,575 lines, 126th in the world (2019);
  • 171,000 lines (2012);
  • 140,000 lines (2008);
  • 127,900 lines (2004);
  • 110,200 lines (2000);
  • 100,848 lines (1997).
• Mobile cellular:<ref name=CIAWFB-Namibia-2014/>
  • 2.92 million lines, 142nd in the world (2019);
  • 2.4 million lines (2012);
  • 1.1 million lines (2008);
  • 450,000 lines (2006);
  • 495,000 lines (2005);
  •   82,000 lines (2000 estimate);
  •   20,000 lines (1998).
• Telephone system: good system; core fiber-optic network links most centers and connections are now digital; multiple mobile-cellular providers with a combined subscribership of more than 100 telephones per 100 persons; fiber-optic cable to South Africa, microwave radio relay link to Botswana, direct links to other neighboring countries (2010).<ref name=CIAWFB-Namibia-2014/>
• Communications cables: connected to the African Coast to Europe (ACE)<ref>"ACE: Africa Coast to Europe" Template:Webarchive, Orange SA. Retrieved 20 January 2014.</ref> and the West Africa Cable System (WACS)<ref>"West Africa Cable System (WACS)" Template:Webarchive, Tata Communications Ltd. Retrieved 20 January 2014.</ref> submarine cables, as well as the South African Far East (SAFE) submarine cable through South Africa (2010).<ref name=CIAWFB-Namibia-2014/>
• Satellite earth stations: 4 Intelsat (2010).<ref name=CIAWFB-Namibia-2014/>

Internet

• Top-level domain: .na<ref name=CIAWFB-Namibia-2014/>
• Internet users: 1,291,944 users, 134th in the world; 51% of the population (2019).<ref name=NIUCalc>Calculated using penetration rate and population data from "Countries and Areas Ranked by Population: 2012" Template:Webarchive, Population data, International Programs, U.S. Census Bureau, retrieved 26 June 2013</ref><ref name=ITU-IndividualsUsingTheInternet>"Percentage of Individuals using the Internet 2000-2012" Template:Webarchive, International Telecommunication Union (Geneva), June 2013, retrieved 22 June 2013</ref>
• Fixed broadband: 61,698 subscriptions, 131st in the world (2019).<ref name=NIUCalc/><ref name="FixedBroadbandITUDynamic2012">"Fixed (wired)-broadband subscriptions per 100 inhabitants 2012" Template:Webarchive, Dynamic Report, ITU ITC EYE, International Telecommunication Union. Retrieved on 29 June 2013.</ref>
• Wireless broadband: 624,257 subscriptions, 86th in the world; 28.8% of the population, 56th in the world (2012).<ref name="MobleBroadbandITUDynamic2012">"Active mobile-broadband subscriptions per 100 inhabitants 2012" Template:Webarchive, Dynamic Report, ITU ITC EYE, International Telecommunication Union. Retrieved on 29 June 2013.</ref>
• Internet hosts: 78,280 hosts, 84th in the world (2012).<ref name=CIAWFB-Namibia-2014/>
• IPv4: 199,168 addresses allocated, less than 0.05% of the world total, 92.0 addresses per 1000 people (2012).<ref>Select Formats Template:Webarchive, Country IP Blocks. Accessed on 2 April 2012. Note: Site is said to be updated daily.</ref><ref>Population Template:Webarchive, The World Factbook, United States Central Intelligence Agency. Accessed on 2 April 2012. Note: Data are mostly for 1 July 2012.</ref>

Telecom Namibia, which has offered ADSL access since late 2006,<ref>"Namibia: Telecom Namibia to Provide Broadband Internet Services"Template:Subscription required Template:Webarchive, All Africa, 15 September 2006. Retrieved 20 January 2014.</ref> has a de facto monopoly on ADSL access. Their monopoly was unsuccessfully challenged in the courts by MWeb Namibia in May 2007<ref>http://www.itweb.co.za/sections/internet/2007/0705311034.asp?A=AFN&S=All%20Africa%20News&O=E&C Template:Dead linkTemplate:Cbignore</ref> and again in August 2011.<ref>Template:Cite web</ref>

In February 2007, ISP Namibia Mweb began offering broadband wireless services through WiMax, making Namibia the second African country (after Mozambique) to do so.<ref>http://www.itweb.co.za/sections/internet/2007/0702121031.asp?S=Mobile%20and%20Wireless%20Technology&A=MAW&O=FPQQ#1 Template:Dead linkTemplate:Cbignore</ref>

Internet censorship and surveillance

There are no government restrictions on access to the Internet; however, the Communications Act provides that the intelligence services can monitor e-mail and Internet usage with authorization from any magistrate. There have been some allegations and rumors that the government reviewed ways to block or curtail social media sites, but there is no concrete evidence of such action.<ref name=USDOS-CRHRP-Namibia-2012>"Namibia" Template:Webarchive, Country Reports on Human Rights Practices for 2012, Bureau of Democracy, Human Rights and Labor, U.S. Department of State, 22 March 2013. Retrieved 20 January 2014.</ref>

The constitution provides for freedom of speech and of the press, and the government generally respects these rights.<ref name=USDOS-CRHRP-Namibia-2012/>

See also

• Mobile Telecommunications Limited Namibia (MTC-Namibia), a mobile phone company 66% of which is owned by Namibia Post and Telecom Holdings Limited which is intern wholly owned by the Namibian Government.
• TN Mobile, a mobile telecommunications company 100% owned by Telecom Namibia which is owned by Namibia Post and Telecom Holdings Limited which is intern wholly owned by the Namibian Government.
• Telecom Namibia, a commercialized subsidiary of Namibia Post and Telecom Holdings Limited which is intern wholly owned by the Namibian Government.
• Media of Namibia
• List of terrestrial fibre optic cable projects in Africa
• Digitalization in Namibia

References

• Template:CIA World Factbook
• Template:US DOS

External links

• Communications Regulatory Authority of Namibia Template:Webarchive, website.
• Telecom Namibia, website.
• MTC-Namibia Template:Webarchive, website.
• Namibian Network Information Center (NA-NIC), manager of the .na domain.