Chances, challenges and questions in digitalisation

As Namibia hopes to leverage digital transformation as a means to create meaningful development, there remain challenges to be addressed, the CEO of the Communications Regulatory Authority of Namibia (Cran), Emilia Nghikembua, concedes. "Our country has made sinificant strides in expanding digital connectivity. the rollout of 4G currently stands at 91% population coverage. This means that more Namibians now have access to high-speed broadband connectivity. Broadband connectivity is fundamental to business operations, e-learning, skills development and assessing global markets," she said at a recent engagement with entrepreneurs. In its endeavours to effect meaningful change in Namibia's telecommunications landscape, the regulatory body must mull over questions to which the answers are essential. "Despite these technological advancements, challenges still remain. Affordability is a key concern. As regulator we have questions around whether everyone can afford a smartphone or reliable internet. What about quality of service? Does it meet the minimum standards? Are broadband service providers providing high quality, reliable services? What about accesibility and inclusion? Is it at the correct level and are all citizens included in the digital economy? These are questions that we as the regulator are constantly asking ourselves, because if we are to enable technology to be transformative, then it means that the basic elements of this ecosystem that we are building need to be correct," Nghikembua said. Reliable connection that is of high quality must also be accompanied by devices through which Namibians are to gain access to these tools, but the costs of such devices place them out of reach for many. "The other aspect is the cost of smart devices. How much does a proper 4G smart device cost? Because that is what you need in order to participate," Nghikembua stated. Many Namibians also at present lack the basic skills neccessary to leverage technology for their own prosperity. "The other conversation is around digital literacy, because that is what we are picking up more and more is that we have smart phones, but we are not aware of what we are able to do with tthat smart phone. Digital literacy is not Facebook and WhatsApp statuses. Digital literacy is knowing that you can use this device to collect the correct information to go on the correct platforms. There are many things one can learn using these devices without having many engagements which would be transformative in nature," Nghikembua said. In order to bring smart devices within reach for the Namibians who are at risk of ending up on the wrong side of the digital divide, Nghikembua believes solutions are possible. "We are committed to addressing these challenges. We are actively working to reduce, for instance, taxes on smart phones and services. We recently heard that if you are a post-paid service user, you are not charged tax, but pre-paid is chared tax, so these are some of the anomalies that we are trying to address in order to address the level of affordability," she says. Even so, consistent coverage remains a battle. "In some areas the quality of service is not what it is supposed to be, because you are on a 4G service, but it is circling as though you are on EDGE and there is a lot of work that is going into improving quality of service to ensure a reliable broadband customer experience ... The good news is that we have started conversations with our operators around phasing out 2G and 3G, because when you speak about broadband, you refer to 4G and 5G – 2G and 3G are not broadband technologies. That will also help us to transform Namibia and create the digital economy that we would like to see."Nghikembua insists that Cran's mandate spans further than spectrum licensing and regulation. "I think the new G5 ICT regulator as the ITU would call it is is one that is not only interested in enabling the framework but also in highlighting the oppourtunities that come with the framework that you enable," she shared. "Once we have lisenced and the sector is thriving, what does it mean for the ordinary Namibian? We would like to have conversations around how we can digitally transform. Digital transformation will not come from issuing lisences, it will not come from levels of compliance. Digital transformation would come from you and I, the ordinary person on the street, uptaking from the framework that is enabled and using technology to transform the spaces that we find ourselves in. That is what digital transformation is about."ENTREPRENEURSHIP"The future of entrepreneurship in Namibia is digital and with the right strategies we can all thrive in this exciting new era," Nghikembua insists. The challenge for Namibia lies in the successful integration of modern technoloy solutions in entrepreneurship models."What we have also realised is that technology is a socio-economic enabler, but if technology is a socio-economic enabler, we also have to position technology in a way that encourages entrepreneurship,so how does the ordinary person on the street who is unemployed uptake from technology and creat employment? That is where technology and tech entrepreneurship comes into play ... The link between entrepreneurship and technology is undeniable and increasingly vital. Innovating your products and services using emerging technologies like artificial intelligence and the internet of things, can set your business apart. For example, AI-powered solutions can personalise customer interactions, automate routine tasks and provide insights that inform strategic decisions," she said. With debate raging worldwide about the benefits and dangers of technologies such as AI, it is vital that Namibia keeps its eyes set on the possible developmental benefits of new technologies. "There has been a lot of talk around artificial intelligence and whether it is a good thing or a bad thing. We can have many conversations around AI for good, the misinformation and the disinformation, but there is also real value in terms of what AI can do for us as a country.""The question that we need to be asking is how do we leverage it to transform the businesses of our entrepreneurs? Are we using the right tools and are we constantly updating? That is the conversation we want to be having as far as entrepreneurship is concerned. How do we use technology fuitfully? How do we use technology to empower young people?"– irene-mari@nmh-hub.com.na

Chances, challenges and questions in digitalisation

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Republikein 2025-12-08

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Chances, challenges and questions in digitalisation

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Republikein 2025-12-08

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