The government of Namibia announced the lifting of the restriction on Telecom Namibia's Switch, a CDMA-based mobility service, on 12 May.

Cabinet approved the lifting of the restriction on the Switch product to the geographic areas after the Office of the Attorney-General recommended to the Office of the Prime Minister to lift the restriction.

Switch was only allowed to be used in towns and a small radius surrounding towns after the government decided that Switch, the provided by fixed line incumbent Telecom Namibia, can continue operating but under a new set of restrictions.

"On 24th March 2009 Telecom Namibia obtained a Board Resolution of the NPTH holding company. The Board resolved that it is satisfied that there is nothing illegal and untoward with Telecom Namibia's Switch (CDMA Technology) product and has no objection that the geographic restriction be lifted and the product be re-launched," reads a Cabinet resolution sent to the media on 12 May 2009.

The launch of Switch in November 2006 was fiercely opposed by the country's GSM mobile operators, which complained that it was providing a mobile service under a fixed telephony licence.

Under current legislation, Telecom Namibia does not need a licence from the regulator, the NCC, to offer specific services but needs authority to use frequency bands over which the NCC has control. Telecom obtained spectrum in the 450MHz and 800MHz bands in February 2005.

Plans are now in full swing to re-launch the Switch product countrywide.