MTC suggests smartphone subsidies before 2G, 3G shutdown

MTC has called on government to subsidise smartphones before 2G and 3G networks are phased out, warning that the transition could leave some customers in limbo.

The recommendation was made during a consultation with the parliamentary standing committee on ICT in Rundu on Monday.

MTC’s Tuhafeni Erastus said the Communications Regulatory Authority of Namibia (CRAN) had asked telecommunications operators to phase out 2G and 3G services and reuse the frequencies for newer technologies such as 4G and 5G.

“However, the moment we shut down 2G, it means we are leaving our customers behind,” he said.

Erastus said government and operators should work together to make smartphones more affordable before the networks are switched off.

“We need to engage and see how we can have these devices subsidised to make sure that they are sold at a cheap price for us to flood the market with these smart devices,” Erastus said.

“It’s good that we also have our lawmakers to look into subsidising some of these devices to make sure that everyone has access to a smartphone,” he said.

He said the phase-out should only take place once customers have had a realistic opportunity to migrate to newer technologies.

Giving the committee an overview of MTC’s infrastructure in Kavango East, Erastus said the company has 53 sites in the region, compared with 39 in Kavango West.

The infrastructure includes MTC-built towers, shared sites, rooftop installations and equipment installed on water reservoirs.

Of the 53 sites, 50 have 4G coverage and one has 5G, he said, as MTC continues its 5G rollout.

Erastus cautioned that MTC’s population coverage figures should not be confused with geographical coverage, as they measure connectivity among people living in populated areas.

He said Ndiyona and Mashare were lagging behind other constituencies in the figures presented to the committee, while internet uptake remained constrained by a lack of suitable devices.

“One of the problems being our people don't have devices that can allow them to connect to internet,” Erastus said.