PowerCom plans to set up 12 telecommunication network towers in the ||Kharas Region over the next two financial years to enhance nationwide digital connectivity.
Its CEO, Beatus Amadhila, revealed this at the groundbreaking ceremony for the construction of a telecommunication tower at farm Howobees, which is located 50 kilometres outside Keetmanshoop.
The average construction cost of a single tower is about N$1.6 million.
There are already 16 towers in the region.
"Together, we can leverage the power of technology to bridge the digital divide, empower communities, and build a brighter future for all."
The Minister of Information and Communication Technology, Emma Theofelus, says PowerCom's efforts to improve connectivity are commitments to ensuring that everyone is connected.
"And we are committed as a ministry to support those initiatives because it will not make any sense that in the case of Luderitz when this new industry is going to thrive there is no network provision, so we are ready to support making ||Kharas Region the hub for green hydrogen success not only in the SAdC Region but actually on the continent . That is the potential that we have, and I am sure that the leadership here and the leadership of the central government would be able to make that a reality."
Theofelus called on all stakeholders to collaborate with PowerCom in availing land to set up more towers in the region.
"You find in some communal areas the traditional authorities don't want to avail the land, or you find some farm owners don't want to avail some piece of land on their farms to actually set up network infrastructure. That puts us in a difficult situation, and when do they avail the land? Sometimes they charge us some high lease cost, which are not conductive."
||Kharas Governor Aletha Frederick says Howobees Tower will serve as a beacon of progress—a vital link that will enhance connectivity in the region.
Construction of Farm Howobees telecommunication tower will commence soon and is expected to be completed before the end of the year.