Namibia Communications - 2021

Telephones - fixed lines

total subscriptions: 139,698

subscriptions per 100 inhabitants: 5.41 (2019 est.)

Telephones - mobile cellular

total subscriptions: 2,823,655

subscriptions per 100 inhabitants: 109.39 (2019 est.)

Telecommunication systems

general assessment:

good competition in mobile market and investment in LTE government program to provide 95% of population with broadband by 2024; 5G delayed due to public concerns of privacy and security; high prices for international bandwidth due to lack of submarine cables, yet improved by diversification of satellite access (2021)

(2020)

domestic: fixed-line subscribership is 6 per 100 and mobile-cellular 113 per 100 persons (2019)

international: country code - 264; landing points for the ACE and WACS fiber-optic submarine cable linking southern and western African countries to Europe; satellite earth stations - 4 Intelsat (2019)

note: the COVID-19 pandemic continues to have a significant impact on production and supply chains globally; since 2020, some aspects of the telecom sector have experienced downturn, particularly in mobile device production; many network operators delayed upgrades to infrastructure; progress towards 5G implementation was postponed or slowed in some countries; consumer spending on telecom services and devices was affected by large-scale job losses and the consequent restriction on disposable incomes; the crucial nature of telecom services as a tool for work and school from home became evident, and received some support from governments

Broadcast media

1 private and 1 state-run TV station; satellite and cable TV service available; state-run radio service broadcasts in multiple languages; about a dozen private radio stations; transmissions of multiple international broadcasters available

Internet country code

.na

Internet users

total: 1,291,944

percent of population: 51% (July 2018 est.)

Broadband - fixed subscriptions

total: 63,314

subscriptions per 100 inhabitants: 2.45 (2019 est.)