Telecom accused of billing pensioner for non-existent Wi-Fi

An Outapi pensioner claims she has paid Telecom Namibia N$350 a month for seven months for a Wi-Fi service that has not been activated after the company allegedly failed to disclose that it lacked the equipment to install the service before locking her into a new 36-month contract.

"At no time during my contract renewal was I informed that the company had no material to install my Wi-Fi. If they had told me this, I would have reconsidered," Anna Kanime told Namibian Sun last week.

Kanime said the situation has placed a significant financial burden on her as a pensioner, as she has been paying for a home internet service she cannot use while simultaneously purchasing mobile data to access the internet.

"I feel scammed. Imagine paying the monthly amount and still having to buy data. I feel scammed!" she said.

She said she has been paying for the non-existent service since January, when she asked Telecom Namibia to transfer her Wi-Fi from her Windhoek residence to Outapi.

“Since my contract had expired, I was told I had to sign a new contract for 36 months before the transfer could be completed,” she said.

Kanime claimed Telecom Namibia never disclosed that it lacked the equipment required to install the service before requiring her to commit to another three-year contract.

Paying for nothing

Email correspondence between Kanime and Telecom's customer care centre, seen by this publication, shows that the company acknowledged the delay, attributing it to the unavailability of the required TD-LTE equipment in the country.

Despite this acknowledgement, Kanime said she has continued paying the N$350 monthly subscription without receiving the promised Wi-Fi service.

"Every time I enquire at their mobile home in Outapi, they tell me I should keep paying my monthly subscription because I signed a contract," she said. "It is really frustrating that I am stuck in this contract with no services being rendered."

Kanime is now demanding that Telecom Namibia cancel her contract without imposing any penalties and refund all subscription fees paid since January 2026, arguing that she should not be expected to pay for a service the company has been unable to provide.

Inadequate consumer protection

Namibian Sun understands that Kanime is not the only affected customer, with other clients in northern Namibia allegedly waiting extended periods for installation of internet services amid delays linked to the availability of required equipment.

The matter has also raised broader consumer protection concerns over whether customers are being asked to enter into long-term contracts despite Telecom Namibia allegedly being aware that it lacks the required equipment to provide the service.

Such circumstances raise questions about whether consumers are being given enough information to make informed decisions before committing to contractual agreements.

Last month, the Communications Regulatory Authority of Namibia (Cran) announced that Telecom Namibia customers may terminate their contracts without incurring early termination penalties because of poor or unavailable services.

The decision followed a formal engagement with the company prompted by ongoing public concern over network outages, service instability and the quality of electronic communications services.

The regulator also directed Telecom to implement short-term measures within four months to improve network stability, replace ageing equipment, strengthen backup power systems, improve international connectivity and intensify efforts to combat copper theft and vandalism.

When contacted for comment via email, Telecom Namibia's head of corporate communications, Nomvula Kambinda, requested that she be contacted telephonically.

However, despite a follow-up call and subsequent requests for clarification, the company had not responded by the time of publication.