MEDIA RELEASE
20 September 2012

The Telecom Namibia Information Communication Technology (ICT) Summit will be held at the Safari Hotel & Conference Centre in Windhoek from 9-11 October 2012.

The Summit is the major ICT event on the Namibian calendar and takes place annually since 2007.

This year, the Summit celebrates its sixth anniversary and it has become a unique and powerful platform for all the key players to come together to share information, learn from each other, and discuss and identify measures to address issues that emerge from the wide-scale application and rapid development of ICTs.

Coinciding with the 20th Anniversary of Telecom Namibia, the Summit will look at the revolution that transformed the IT and telecommunications sector in Namibia and Telecom Namibia, as the key player, over the past 20 years.

Information communication technologies (ICTs) are improving at a fascinating rate. ICTs are not simply a way of organising business to improve efficiency and increase competitiveness. The ICT services and infrastructure that enable the digital economy are now increasingly becoming an integral part of everyday lives. They encompass business, education, freedom of speech, entertainment, as well as social inclusion and health, reaching out to improve the well-being of peoples across the globe.

Thus the theme for this year’s event is, “ICT – an integral part of everyday lives,” which provides an opportunity for ICT users, policy makers, industry players and the sector itself to interrogate how best the ICT potential – through social inclusion - can be harnessed to achieve real sustainable development for business, society and the environment as Namibia moves towards Vision 2030. Since education, knowledge, information and communication are at the core of human progress, endeavour and well-being in the digital economy, ICTs have an immense impact on virtually all aspects of our lives.

Through a series of high-level speeches, debates, interviews and case studies, our distinguished speaker line-up will look at the enormous potential of ICT to boost economic development and improve Namibia's competitiveness, by leading to new sources of growth and addressing key societal challenges we are facing as we forge ahead with the implementation of NDP-4. There will be a strong focus on how the industry players, the regulator, policymakers can work together to promote ICT penetration in the country.

One biggest challenge to be addressed by the Summit is how to harness the potential of ICT to create an inclusive society, to promote the development goals of NDP-4, namely the eradication of extreme poverty and hunger; achievement of universal primary education; promotion of gender equality and empowerment of women; reduction of child mortality; improvement of maternal health; to combat HIV/AIDS, malaria and other diseases; and ensuring environmental sustainability.

There are also a number of key questions to be answered. How best can we empower the poor, particularly those living in remote, rural and marginalised urban areas, to access information and knowledge? How can we promote IT literacy? How can we shape ICT progress and how to ensure that Namibian citizens and businesses can make the best out of it?

Many ICT companies will be showcasing their products and services and close to 600 delegates are expected to attend the Summit. The event programme has an impressive line-up of local and international experts, who will deliver presentations and participate in panel discussions and workshops.

Members of the public who want to participate in the Summit are requested to register online at www.ictsummit.telecom.na

ISSUED BY:
Oiva Angula

Telecom Namibia partners with Jasco Co-location Solutions to deliver faster, cheaper Internet

NewTelco South Africa signs Telecom Namibia contract, sets up international POP in London

23 August 2012

Telecom Namibia has entered into a partnership with NewTelco South Africa, represented by Jasco Co-location Solutions, to deliver four international Points of Presence (PoPs) connected into the WACS undersea cable that became active in May 2012. These PoPs, located in Cape Town, Johannesburg, Frankfurt and London, will be designed, procured and built by NewTelco SA for exclusive use by Telecom Namibia. As part of the partnership agreement, Telecom Namibia will also be making use of NewTelco’s existing infrastructure until dedicated infrastructure is built. A number of global carriers are already connected into the service.

After South Africa, Namibia is only the second country to extend the reach of their network into Europe on the WACS cable. The partnership between Telecom Namibia and NewTelco SA is a pioneering step in connecting Africa to the world, removing the reliance of many African telecoms operators on third parties to connect internationally and driving down the cost of communications for the continent.

When selecting a partner, Telecom Namibia went out to tender with a very specific set of criteria that needed to be met. One of the conditions was for a company with a global reach and existing experience in building PoPs around the world. Telecom Namibia also required a partner skilled at systems integration to bring together products and equipment from a variety of vendors and provide a single point of contact, as well as a partner with the critical mass required to provide financing for infrastructure and provide the use of such infrastructure back to them. The Jasco Group as a whole is well known for its systems integration expertise, and thanks to NewTelco SA’s partnership with NewTelco GmbH, a German company with co-location hubs in 25 locations including major world capitals and years of global experience, Jasco Co-location Solutions was the ideal partner.

“In order to connect to global telecommunications providers, Telecom Namibia needed space in a data centre as well as a partner to manage and maintain services. NewTelco SA, through our ties to NewTelco GmbH, is perfectly positioned to deliver on Telecom Namibia’s requirements and fulfil this role. This partnership is a breakthrough in global Internet connectivity for Namibia, as the country previously relied on routing traffic through South Africa,” says Eckart Zollner, Business Development Manager for Jasco Co-location Solutions.

For Telecom Namibia this partnership enables cheaper, more direct interconnections with other telecoms providers throughout the world, without the need to route through third parties in South Africa. This in turn means they are able to offer higher speeds of connectivity at lower prices, and also better customer service. They are able to manage their own networks and make broadband connectivity more accessible to the Namibian public, helping them to bridge the digital divide and allowing the country to compete on a global stage.

“Jasco Co-location Solutions met all of our criteria, and has delivered the first phase of a solution which will revolutionise telecommunications in Namibia,” says Oiva Angula, Senior Manager: Corporate Communications and Public Relations at Telecom Namibia. “Further phases, such as additional PoPs and the extension of our national infrastructure, will enable us to further extend these services and access new technologies such as Voice over IP and cloud services.”

“NewTelco is a carrier neutral co-location centre and provider, which means that at every point of presence location there are hundreds of global carriers present. Telecom Namibia can now have our pick of carriers to interconnect with, ensuring that we always receive the best pricing and service levels, which can then be passed on to our customers,” he adds.

20 August 2012 By Oiva Angula

Inaugural Telecom Namibia Windhoek City Run attracts 500 enthusiasts

Nearly 500 runners and walkers converged in sunny conditions at the Doc Jubber Hockey Field in Windhoek to take part in the Inaugural Telecom Namibia Windhoek City Run on Sunday.

Runners ranged from the young to an 83 year-old. For many, the aim is just to reach the finishing line. The Telecom Namibia Windhoek City Run was arranged for the first time in partnership with the Windhoek Harriers Club and Otb Sports. The former invited Telecom Namibia to sponsor the event as part of the company’s 20th anniversary activities.

The event featured the 42.2k marathon, as well as 21,1k and 10k runs and walk races, while the route chosen showcased the Mother City and some of its scenic landmarks.

According to the Chairman of the Windhoek Harriers Club Johan van Niekerk, the event is planned to become a part of the Windhoek City annual calendar, saying: With increasing public awareness, it will become a new name-card for our marvelous City of Windhoek.”

Telecom Namibia was the Title sponsor of the Windhoek City Run, while Coca Cola served as the official soft drink sponsor for the event.

"Telecom Namibia is pleased and honored to host the Inaugural Telecom Namibia Windhoek City Run," said Telecom Namibia MD Frans Ndoroma, who ran a red-hot race to claim the Grand Master Male title in the 10k category.

"Runners and walkers who participated have surely enjoyed the course, the spirited competition and time well-spent in our country's incredible Capital City. Next year we expect more participants from far and wide to enjoy the beauty of Windhoek," Ndoroma pointed out.

The highlight of the event was the 42.2k Marathon, which kicked off at 6.30 am. Embashu Phineas and Ndeshimona Ekandjo won the Men and Females’ first place in the Elite categories respectively, and Frans Erasmus and Ashew Ndivu won the first place in the Vet Male and Female categories respectively. Dieter Max Ester emerged as winner in the Master Male.

The 33-year old NDF Lance Corporal Sakaria Shifotoka bagged the Elite Male category in the 21.1k, with 34-year old Anna Hamukoto taking the title in the female category.

First place winners in the 21.1k series were as follows:

Title Run Walk
Elite Male Tobias Atoani Sakaria Shifotoka
Vet Male Kanu Alex Chidi Mathew Hoeb
Master Male Manie Ross Roly de Klerk
Grand Master Male John Cull Eric Marisch
Elite Female Anna Amukoto Rachael Akukotela
Vet Female Ida Calitz Ruusa Shipiki
Master Female Maritz Engelbratz Isle Burger

Winners in the 10k series were:

Title Run Walk
Elite Male: Kauanivi Mynhardt Simon Shaninara
Vet Male Ryan: Syser Wonnie Bock
Master Male: Nelson Mushariwa Werner Sell
Grand Master: Male Frans Ndoroma
Elite Female: Melissa Papgis Drerdo Esterhugsen
Vet Female: Madelein Spies Jenny Mostert
Master Female: Betty du Plessis Maryke Am

The event was preceded by a gala dinner on Friday, which was addressed by the Telecom Namibia MD and guest speaker Andre Diederichs, a well-known public speaker and media personality who have published more than a 1000 business articles and six business books since 2002.

“As a corporate citizen, Telecom Namibia is very much willing to help out on an event that promotes health, fitness, and better lifestyle for Namibians,” Ndoroma said.

He said Telecom Namibia agreed to sponsor the event in order to reclaim the City of Windhoek for people to run through its streets and enjoy its beautiful scenery.

The event should be seen by corporate Namibia for their involvement as a long term project to promote the City of Windhoek nationally, regionally and internationally, he said.

“As part of Telecom Namibia’s 20th birthday celebrations, this sponsorship enforces our company’s commitment to the health of the nation and an investment in the people that make Telecom Namibia who we are,” he added.

Ndoroma said that Telecom Namibia would continue to promote healthy living at every opportunity and encourage not only our employees, but every Namibian to lead a healthy lifestyle.

“It is our duty as individuals and companies to combat inactive lifestyle and chronic conditions such as obesity, high blood pressure and diabetes as we seek to create meaningful change in our communities and in our nation as a whole,” he said.

The Windhoek Harriers Club is also celebrating its 30th birthday this year.

Organisers assigned 100 marshals and volunteers to man the entire route and water points at intervals, as well as the professional services of the City Police Department and SOS to secure event order and safety.

“I am happy the inaugural Telecom Namibia Windhoek City Run was very informative, a learning curve and we have had great feedback from those who participated. Together with our partners, we will be able to build on their input,” Ndoroma said.

“I thank all the participants and all the volunteers for making the day a success,” he concluded.