The Namibian government has allocated N$110 million over three years for the installation of 30 network towers.
This is intended to address the digital disparity and improve nationwide access to information.
This commitment was conveyed by the Minister of Information and Communication Technology, Emma Theofelus.
Additionally, the Ministry of Information and Communication Technology (MICT) organised an information exhibition as a demonstration of support for the Minister.
The exhibition at Parliament featured all government-associated parastatals, such as the Namibian Broadcasting Corporation (nbc), the Communications Regulatory Authority of Namibia (CRAN), the Namibia Press Agency (NAMPA), New Era Publications, and the Namibia Film Commission (NFC).
The nbc will receive over N$300 million for its operational budget and an additional N$80 million for development purposes. Stanley Similo, the Director General, outlined plans for utilising these funds effectively to improve services and expand outreach.
"The Capex budget is ordinarily known as the development budget, and in this development budget, I think it's N$80 million. This is what we will be using to try and improve our technological advancements, such as towers and systems, both on radio and TV."
The exhibition aimed at providing government officials, including members of parliament, with firsthand exposure to the products and services offered by MICT and its affiliated public enterprises. It served as a proactive measure to garner support for the ministry's budget, which was tabled as Vote 29 in Parliament.
"Most importantly, CRAN will be getting N$35 million, which will be used for network towers. This is quite important because these towers will be used in places where your mobile operators do not deem them commercially viable, so we wanted to fill that gap through CRAN, looking at underserviced regions where there is no network coverage. There are regions like Kunene that don't really have coverage, and we are here to establish clarity and to also appreciate the members of the Parliament so that they can understand what we do as government with our public enterprises," explained MICT spokesperson, Shoki Kandjimi.
The nbc showcased its latest offering, the nbcPlus, at the exhibition. This product also functions as an integral component of the digital platform.
NAMPA, a pivotal entity in the nation's media landscape, elaborated on its significant footprint within the industry.
The exhibition not only highlighted the contributions of MICT and its affiliated entities to national development but also underscored the government's dedication to ensuring equitable access to information and communication technologies for all Namibians.