The government of Namibia is privatizing some of the country's telecommunication properties by selling part of the services.  At the moment, there is semi privatization in  Namibia.  Information Technology in Namibia is still a young industry.  However, the government has been deregulating some aspect of the telecommunication industry, thereby making it for outsiders to invest in the industry.  It was in this regard that, in 1992, the government divided the Communications Division then part of the Ministry of Works, Transport and Communication into four different entities. 
The four entities are as follows:

• The Ministry of Works, Transport and Communication remained in the government fold and is-inter alia-accountable for the national policy of the postal and telecommunications sector, the appointment and removal of the Board of Directors, monitoring the Performance Contract, and annual reporting to the Namibian Parliament on the affairs of the Corporations.

• The Namibia "Communications Commission", an independent body responsible for frequency management, the issuing of licences and other regulatory functions.

• Telecom Namibia Limited, the officially designated telecom company responsible for providing and maintaining the telecommunications infrastructure and services.

• Namibia Post Limited responsible for postal and savings bank services.  (2) 

   More competition will come in the future in line with government policy which is based on competition and deregulation.  For instance, banks will set up their own satellite communication links primarily for data communication, but experience from both Europe and USA shows that these facilities also will be used for voice communication
(2) 

   Presently, Telecom Namibia provides basic telecommunication services such as local telephone installation services and telex services to 98% of the country.  As a semi-private company, Telecom Namibia, continue to improve its services, including data transmission.  However, competition is growing in data transmission, due to increase in foreign investors in Namibia.   Also, improvement in economic and social conditions in the country have resulted in increase in demand of modern telecommunication services. 

  The demand for the modernization of data communication services remained a burden for Telecom Namibia, because optic fibre cable avaliable now, does not meet the demand for data communication services.

   This page was last updated: 12/16/99

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