Farmers' union calls for solutions as rural internet access gaps persist

The agricultural sector continues to face challenges due to shortcomings in telecommunications, with proposed mobile satellite applications seen as unaffordable for farmers.“Internet connectivity in rural areas is no longer a luxury but an absolute necessity for conducting daily business. Farmers need solutions, please,” said Namibia Agricultural Union (NAU) CEO Roelie Venter during a public discussion on mobile satellite applications hosted by the Communications Regulatory Authority of Namibia (CRAN) in Windhoek last week.Four Namibian-registered service providers – Echo Namibia, Oblixx Communication Networks, Rocketnet Internet, and Blue Telecommunications, a subsidiary of Radio Electronics – presented proposals to facilitate the local market in collaboration with Starlink competitor OneWeb.During the event, Eutelsat OneWeb was highlighted as a company operating more than 630 low-Earth orbit satellites at an altitude of approximately 1 200 km. This allows users, even in the most remote locations, to access reliable, high-speed data and voice telecommunications worldwide.OneWeb is still negotiating with the government for an exemption from the rule that 51% of local internet providers must be owned by Namibians. The four companies are also seeking a spectrum allocation from CRAN to sell OneWeb connectivity in Namibia.CRAN confirmed that Starlink’s application is still under review by the Ministry of Information and Communication Technology and that no final decision has yet been made.Outdated systemsDuring a meeting earlier in August between the agricultural union, CRAN and Telecom, the phase-out of WiMAX technology was specifically discussed. The retirement of this outdated system will take place over 24 months and is scheduled to conclude in September 2026.“WiMAX equipment and components can no longer be obtained or replaced, raising the question of what alternatives are available for current WiMAX users,” the NAU said.“The representatives from Telecom stated that alternatives are being explored, but no decisions have been finalised. This leaves the agricultural sector – and others – in a difficult position," the union added.NAU has urged Telecom to demonstrate commitment and focus on current service delivery and has called for an interim plan to be put in place urgently.“CRAN has assured the NLU that no one will be left without connectivity," the union said. Access denied During the meeting with Telecom, the NAU reported that serious allegations had been made that farmers are denying service providers access to their infrastructure.“We have asked CRAN to provide a list of individuals who are denying access. At the same time, we would like to reach out to our members to determine how many have telecommunications service provider infrastructure on their property and whether they allow or deny access.”If farmers do deny access, the NAU has requested that the reasons be provided and assured that all reports will be handled confidentially.– francoise@nmh.com.naClick the link: https://q.my.na/ZJYV

Farmers' union calls for solutions as rural internet access gaps persist

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Namibian Sun 2025-10-14

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Farmers' union calls for solutions as rural internet access gaps persist

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Namibian Sun 2025-10-14

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