7 March 2014

Managing Director of Telecom Namibia last week called for a change in the manner in which the country’s domain name registry is handled, proposing that a multi-stakeholder body be created to be the guarantor of the country code top level domain (ccTLD).

Frans Ndoroma said that the Namibian ccTLD ought to be managed and administered in an effective, transparent and equitable manner, and in conformity with global Internet policies.

“It is high time for Namibia to establish an institution to administer the country code top level domain (ccTLD),” Ndoroma said at launch of the Namibia Internet Exchange Point (IXP) in Windhoek on 7 March.

He said that a domain name is a national asset whose use should be managed in such a way as to benefit the whole country. He also said that domain names are a key driver to the growth of a nation’s Internet network.

“The existing arrangement for the management of Namibia’s ccTLD is flawed in a number of ways. Most notably, the registration process is controlled by individuals, and the current administration processes and procedures are not representative of all stakeholders and do not contribute in any way to the development of Namibia’s ICT community,” he said

“We need to broaden representation in the administration of the ccTLD. We believe these initiatives will go a long way in making the use of Internet more exciting and cost effective,” he added

Currently the .na domain name is managed and administered by NA-NiC (Namibian Network Information Centre), a close corporation established in 1991 and run by Dr. Eberhard Lisse.

The Telecom MD said a multi-stakeholder body should be set up to manage the administration, policy-setting and technical operations of the country’s ccTLD.

He said such a body should promote, manage and operate the delegated .na ccTLD in the interest of the Namibian Internet community and the global Internet community as a broad-based organisation with representation from stakeholders in the local Internet industry.

“I wish to call upon all in the industry to be supportive of this position and others that aim at opening up the sector to flexible ways of doing business; for this is where our hope lies to achieving increased ICT usage in the country,” Ndoroma said.

19 March 2014

Telecom Namibia announced the launch of its first ever Speedlink broadband packages for residential, small office/home (SOHO) and small enterprises, which provides a thrilling plug-and-play Internet browsing experience with high speed broadband connectivity feature.

This broadband promotion, which starts tomorrow and ends 20 June 2014, is branded ‘Speedlink Lite’. The new packages allow customers to connect effortlessly to Internet with different devices such as tablets, smartphone and laptops.

Speedlink Lite is made up of Speedlink Data (home and business) and Speedlink Data Professional with static IP address – both designed for customers who want seamless data-only usage.

peedlink Data has a bandwidth speed of minimum 512kbps and maximum of 10 Mbps, while Speedlink Data Professional has speeds from 1Mbps up to 10 Mbps. Customers can choose any of the unlimited internet plans accordingly, as per their requirement.

The Speedlink Lite packages have eight distinct data-only offerings with unlimited usage, giving customer more choice. Prices start from N$245 a month for a 512k package up to N$4,048 for a 10 Mbps package for a 36-month contract.

“The new price points for all packages make data affordable for everyone to use to their desired content. Our customers can conveniently stay connected and download content throughout the day without feeling a strain on their pockets. We are confident that, with our reliable Internet connectivity across the country and now these affordable plans, we are greatly improving the value proposition to all of our customers,” said Isak Ouseb, Senior Manager for Product Management.

For the new Speedlink Lite packages the telecommunication giant will not provide customer premises equipment (CPE), meaning that customers will have the option to purchase own modem separately on cash or instalment.

“Customer will be provided with data/internet service only without any value added service,” added Ouseb. He said the new plans are based on customer demand for more data and faster speeds.

Telecom Namibia offers a variety of Wi-Fi enabled CPEs with rich features allowing customers to connect to the Internet seamlessly with smartphones, tablets and laptops.

Ouseb said that people in the country are increasingly consuming the internet using their smartphone devices or tablets for surfing the web and staying in touch with family, friends or colleagues through emails, messengers or social networking sites.

“Our new Speedlink Lite packages will target these specific requirements and continue to deliver great value to customers,” he said.

“Activity such as watching videos on YouTube, exchanging files via Whatsapp or using certain apps all consume high amounts of data meaning customers require packages that can accommodate their data usage,” he added. “Telecom Namibia has a responsibility to meet the needs of its customers and we want their experience to be as enjoyable as possible. These packages are some of the most competitive in the market and ensure customers enjoy optimal data usage and peace of mind.” An Installation fee of N$222 is payable in town and N$333 outside town.

22 March 2014

Telecom Namibia’s mobile business, tn mobile, has launched its 3G service at Omuthiya, the regional capital of Oshikoto region on Thursday.

The new network provides peak speeds of up to 21 Mbps using the High Speed Packet Access Plus (HSPA+) standard, making it the fastest 3G network in Namibia.

The expansion of the coverage of our 3G mobile broadband network will offer people in the area the possibility of enjoying accelerated data speeds for faster mobile services, as well as the latest interactive voice, video and data applications. Residents as well as businesses in the Omuthiya area will also be able to profit from fast mobile broadband and reliable voice service for communication and commerce.

tn mobile’s investment in 3G and 4G LTE technologies to enhance the mobile network is a positive development for Namibia as the new entity starts to play its national role in the development of the telecom sector in the country. It is an encouraging sign of tn mobile's ongoing commitment to making new and better technologies available to drive growth and vibrancy in our communities.

The same network is already available in Windhoek and surrounding areas, as well as Walvis Bay, Swakopmund, Langstrand, Henties Bay, Ondangwa, Ongwediva, Oshakati, Ohangwena and Oshikango, alongside a fourth generation long-term evolution (4G LTE) network launched in November last year. tn mobile’s 4G LTE services provides speeds of up to 100 Mbps.

The mobile operator intends to launch 3G networks next week in at least three towns, namely Tsumeb, Keetmanshoop and Ruacana. The new expansion is aimed at enabling tn mobile to meet the growing demand for advanced mobile data products and services. Contract customers are able to enjoy data roaming in 75 countries with 150 operators, along with voice calling and SMS’s with 276 operators in 132 countries.