Mobile Telecommunications Company (MTC) is hopeful that the rollout of 5G technology in Namibia will unlock untapped values that lie within the country's digital infrastructure.
This, it says, will also result in a significant milestone for the economy and its people's livelihood.
MTC held the first public 5G technology trail demonstration, the fifth generation of wireless connectivity, which allows for faster and more powerful connectivity that supports high-tech machines.
For consumers, this means higher-quality video and multimedia content can be delivered faster via increased capacity.
For businesses, this means the potential to transform performance and user experience beyond what is currently possible with existing network capabilities., including across mobile broadband, fixed wireless, and industrial applications such as the Internet of Things and Augmented Reality.
"While we are not yet ready for the commercial roll-out plans, I am happy to indicate to you, our esteemed guests, that this morning's event is about the demonstration of 5G and the blissful opportunities it can present to a digitally led economy. We wish to make it known that today's event is not a commercial launch of 5G services in Namibia by MTC," says MTC Managing Director, Dr. Licky Erastus.
The Managing Director of Huawei Namibia, Michael Zhang, vowed Huawei's commitment to working closely with MTC to deploy cutting-edge technologies to ensure fast and high-quality 5G deployments.
"5G will fundamentally change the way we live, work, and communicate. It will enable a wide range of applications that will drive economic growth, enhance productivity, and improve the quality of life for the people of Namibia. But it is not only MTC and Huawei's job to make it happen; it needs everybody here to innovate and to try something new."
On her part, the Minister of Information and Communication Technology noted that the opportunities that come with 5G are vast, and it's upon Namibians to ensure that they take full leverage of them.
"When it comes to actually investing in technology, it becomes a hustle, but unfortunately, technology is expensive in the short term, but definitely the long-term benefits are great, and as a government, we want to breach the digital gap. Many will ask why 5G when most people are not connected."
Theofelus added that, compared to peers in the region, Namibia has lagged behind in adopting 5G technology because of conspiracy theories.
"We were ready to launch 5G in Namibia, and we were going to be the first to do so in SADC; however, due to conspiracy theories where some of our citizens believed that 5G caused COVID-19, we put that aside to do investigations to prove that 5G does not cause COVID-19."
If 5G is implemented in Namibia, it can be used to fuel smart agriculture, mining, and manufacturing, drive telemedicine and e-health, and improve e-governance and e-commerce, among others.