Fixed-line subscriptions continue with a downward trend as more Namibians are now using mobile telecommunications services.

A quarterly report by the Communications Regulatory Authority of Namibia (CRAN) shows an increase in the total number of active SIM cards by 2%, with both prepaid and postpaid segments recording modest growth in the third quarter of 2024.

The number of mobile broadband users on cell phones has gone up by 5%, and the number of SIM cards used for Internet access has gone up from 61% to 64%.

However, mobile broadband usage utilising dongles and routers declined by 2% over the same period, reflecting a shift in user preferences towards mobile phone-based Internet connectivity.

Fixed Internet subscriptions did not perform well either, as they experienced a decline ranging between 1% and 8% across various segments during the third quarter of 2024.

On the traffic volume front, during the third quarter of 2024, total mobile outgoing minutes increased by 8%, marking a strong recovery from the 3% decline observed in the previous quarter.

The number of SMS sent also went up by 11%, which was the opposite of what had been happening.

Mobile data usage, measured in gigabytes, however, has experienced a 3% decline, signalling a potential shift in user behaviour towards the utilisation of fibre.

Fixed-line outgoing calls remained relatively stagnant, although mobile outgoing calls to fixed-line numbers recorded a significant 38% increase.

This growth is attributed to mobile subscribers' habit of using their mobile phones for communication with fixed-line users, who are predominantly businesses and government offices/agencies.

In the third quarter of 2024, data revenue surpassed the 700-million mark, breaking out of the 600-million range that had persisted over the past two years.