The Minister of Information and Communication Technology, Emma Theofelus, has reiterated the government's efforts to provide access to ICT services in rural areas.

Theofelus stated that the government and its stakeholders have been working to make ICT services accessible in remote areas.

She was speaking at a regional stakeholders engagement in the Oshikoto Region.

"As the Ministry of ICT through the Communications Act of 2009, which drafters at that time foresaw, because at that time the country at large had a small population and people were dispersed in many areas, it was important to put a fund together to ensure that connectivity is extended to areas that do not make commercial sense."

She noted that access to ICT services is not that expensive, saying one network tower costs about N$2 million to N$3 million, depending on circumstance.

"Some areas are so remote that the telecommunications company first put an access road to the site where they would like to put up the tower. If there is no electricity in the area, they need to make sure they put up solar panels to ensure that the network tower is able to operate because, unfortunately, technology as we know it cannot operate without energy."

Telecom Namibia's Senior Manager for Regional Technical Operations, Junias Kalimbo, called on the business community to support ICT to accelerate connectivity in rural areas.

"Let us support those sectors that are established to accelerate connectivity to the rural centres and to the urban centres and to the country at large to make sure that you are connected."