WINDHOEK - The Ministry of Information and Communication Technology is working towards a plan to advance Information Communication Technology (ICT), as the most important economic sector in the country.

A staggering N$320 million has been earmarked over the next five years, to fulfil this Vision 2030 objective that wants to see Namibian-based ICT service companies as competitive players on international markets, exporting to a large extent tailor-made hardware and software to the global market using electronic business.

The amount excludes the annual subsidies to parastatals such as the Namibian Broadcasting Corporation, the Namibian Press Agency, New Era Publications Corporation and NamZim Newspapers.

Line minister, Joel Kaapanda, says the targets set for the ICT sector in Vision 2030 are eight years behind schedule.

"By 2010, which is next year, Vision 2030 wants to see achievements in the ICT sector that include massive foreign investments in research institutions in Namibia," Kaapanda said.

The goal is to have Internet access in virtually all rural areas through the deployment of innovative technology, and government institutions that provide e-business services to the Namibian public and foreign investors.

"It is no secret that Namibia was once a leader in this sector in SADC and on the African continent. Unfortunately, our ratings have dropped," Kaapanda remarked.

He said although the country's telephone and cellular infrastructure is still among the highest on the continent, it is lagging behind in policy implementation, legal and regulatory frameworks, access for all, affordability and human resource capacity.

Kaapanda attributes this to the sector that was fragmented until last year with the creation of the Ministry of Information and Communication Technology, resulting in important sectoral functions coming together under one roof.

The minister said what now remains is to adopt the ministry's strategic plan, implement the ministry's mandate and create a statutory inter-ministerial ICT coordinating body.

"This body must consult and plan together to ensure that the available financial resources are used to best serve the nation and to bring an end to the costly duplication of services," Kaapanda added.

Regarding the Vision 2030 backlog, Kaapanda said it is not necessary to despair although the backlog is huge.

He said the ministry has, during the current financial year, invested time in the review, update and development of the ICT Policy, the Telecommunication Policy, Postal Policy, Broadcasting Policy and an Overarching ICT Policy.

The long-awaited Information Communication Bill, expected to create an autonomous regulator, levelling playing fields in the communication industry has been finalised and might be enacted during the first sitting of Parliament this year.

Cabinet has also guaranteed N$250 million for the construction of an undersea cable that will enhance broadband access and bring a landing point to Namibia.

The completion of the cable is expected to increase Internet speed and enhance access at more affordable prices.

Kaapanda, who was speaking at the stakeholders' meeting on the ministry's five-year strategic plan, said although a lot of groundwork has been done to position Namibia in the international information society, the industry faces serious challenges.

He said challenges are the approval of the ministerial structure, attracting and retaining the necessary human capacity to implement and drive the development and growth of the ICT sector and an adequate budgetary allocation for the 2009/10 and future financial years.

Telecom Namibia could be the first Internet Protocol (IP) based fully converged telecom operator in Africa leading the way on the continent and letting Namibia leap-frog into the information society.

As the converged market share increases, this will allow Telecom Namibia to deepen fixed and fixed-wireless penetration while capturing a much larger share of the current mobile market.

This would make Namibia's telecommunications giant the only operator that could offer fully converged services in Namibia.

These are the latest findings presented in a 4-page Namibia Economic Public Research Unit (NEPRU) Private Sector Brief compiled for Telecom Namibia as one of the sponsors of the 2007/8 e-Access and Usage Household Survey conducted in 17 African countries by ResearchICTafrica.net.

The brief further states that "œTelecom Namibia would be best advised to become a converged low cost provider, tapping into un-served markets and delivering a developmental impetus for Namibia that other operators are unlikely to deliver."

With the new telecommunications bill, new players in the market and converging technologies, Telecom Namibia is likely to be the leading provider to offer a fully converged Web 3.0 type services to the untapped market.

Web 3.0 is all about two IP addresses communicating any data through any type of technology. This can range from fixed line, mobile, fixed, wireless, Wi-Fi, PDA, computer or to car navigation system technologies.

"Convergence would not only address the growing information needs of those that currently use ICTs , but also extend it to poor people and rural communities that cannot afford it currently," reads the brief.

For Telecom Namibia this is very much possible because Namibia has a vast un-served market. Therefore, "œrolling out next generation network services would allow Telecom Namibia to gain market share among current users of ICTs and to tap into the currently un-serves market segment."

Since Namibians spend nearly 10 percent of their income and a quarter of their disposable income on average on mobile telecommunication, "œadditional services (by Telecom Namibia) can attract an equal or even higher amount of the disposable of Namibians in the future."

This bodes well for Telecom Namibia since it is the only provider that can offer exclusive handset subsidies. Therefore "185,000 Namibia without a mobile phone at present would be willing to buy one at N$100," states the brief, adding that Telecom Namibia is price leader already in mobile products.

"Moving to fully IP convergence would allow Telecom Namibia to increase its market share, secure a sustainable future and be of service to Namibia delivering an ICT environment that creates jobs and generates economic growth," the brief concluded.

The recent NEPRU brief titled "Towards one converged telecommunication service" was compiled by local researcher Dr. Christoph Stork.

About 800 stakeholders in the information communication technology (ICT) sector attended the 3rd Telecom Namibia ICT Summit in Windhk this week.

The two-day summit, which forms part of concerted efforts by Telecom Namibia to enhance the momentum for the development of ICT in the country, was held under the theme "ICT: Visualising the Future " Confronting the Crisis."

Given the current global economic crisis, the aim of the event was to boost confidence in the ICT sector and build motivation for future business oriented development.

Discussions at the Summit contributed to shaping a clear vision and roadmap for ICT development within Namibia.

This year's event brought together key ICT practitioners and decision makers and users from across Namibia and Africa in order to increase their awareness and exposure to the latest emerging trends and opportunities in ICT.

Information and Communication Technology Minister Jl Kaapanda said the event dealt with a very timely topic that attempts to interrogate what the ICT and telecommunication landscape will look like a few years from now.

At the first ICT Summit in 2007 Government said it was drafting an enabling legislation for the telecommunication/IT sector in the wake of globalisation, liberalisation and technology advancements.

"A Communications Bill has recently been introduced in the Parliament," the Minister said.

This bill embraces two fundamental principles. The first is that Namibia will use communications as an engine of growth so as to contribute to the revitalisation of the Namibian economy; and

Secondly Namibia will introduce competition in telecommunications and take advantage of convergence to ensure that Namibians have access to the most advanced technology at affordable prices.

The new bill seeks to improve the legal and regulatory framework to provide for a service and technology neutral licensing regime in line with international best practice, promote increased competition, consumer protection and investments in this changing landscape.

The objective of developing the country through ICT requires to take ICT to all citizens through some forms of a Universal Service programme, said the Minister.

The proposed bill has a chapter which relate specifically to universality, and the creation of a Universal Service Fund that will provide an opportunity for uneconomic consumers and areas to get access to basic telecommunication services.

"Since everyone in the industry will benefit from expanded networks, everyone should contribute in line with the stipulations provided therein," the Minister said.

He said the landscape in the local, regional and international ICT sectors is rapidly changing, not only due to policy and regulatory adjustments, but also technology advances and convergence between the various ICT services and offerings.

According to him, fixed-mobile convergence will in particular reshape the current ICT landscape.

Telecom Namibia is already positioning itself as a converged solutions provider across the entire ICT value chain.

The company has deployed a state-of-the-art IP/MPLS core transport network and has introduced a number of access technologies like ADSL, CDMA and WiMAX. These next generation telecoms technologies are likely to profoundly change the local ITC landscape.

In the meantime the Minister said that Namibia is a proud partner in the West Africa Cable System (WACS) project.

"Our participation in the sea cable is certainly a forward looking move in the right direction as it will enable our country to access international bandwidth capacity at more competitive costs which will serve as a catalyst for economic growth and social development."

Telecom Namibia Managing Director Frans Ndoroma said the event made possible the sharing of ideas, knowledge and experiences in order to facilitate collaboration and partnership for the future.

"The presence of so many key players, experts and leaders from across Namibia and the African region, as well as from Europe and multinational companies, attests to the importance of the issues that we are here to discuss."

Ndoroma said the Summit considered the new ICT challenges and opportunities facing companies like Telecom Namibia to become part of the new "ICT civilisation."

He said the Summit would be action-based and future oriented, with the speakers and knowledge experts inspiring and challenging participants to visualise how best to exploit ICT towards a new knowledge-based economy that can contribute to economic development, help create new jobs and improve the quality of life.

Board Chairman of Telecom Namibia Joseph Iita said the creation of a converged ICT service provider of the future [in Namibia] is possible

"A new networking paradigm will in future enable customers to use their networks as they use their own muscles and nerves, linking the network to every business operation as easily and efficiently as the brain connects to the body with no gap between idea and action."

According to Iita, the vision of a network of the future is real and Telecom Namibia is systematically constructing such a network.

The company is making investments today in improving the customer experience, scaling and growing network capacity, and developing next-generation services that are laying the foundation for Telecom Namibia"™s vision of the service provider and society of the future.

"If successful, we will survive, thrive, and change the face of telecommunications in our country," he said.

"This vision is realistic, doable, and beginning to happen right now."