Telecom Namibia today announced the successful conclusion of its ‘Fibre to the Home’ (FTTH) service trial which run from December 2013 to 30 August 2014.

The 9-months user trial of fibre broadband connectivity to homes was conducted at the Omeya Residential and Golf Estate, some 30km south of Windhoek, to test the service and ensure stability and reliability for customers.

The trial involved 30 homes at the Omeya Residential and Golf Estate – and the results show that the service is capable of speeds of up to 120Mbps, setting a new Internet speed benchmark in the country.

Most areas in Namibia currently have ADSL and WiMAX up to 10Mbps.

Fibre optics cables were deployed to support the trial, while backbone and supporting systems were upgraded to provide a seamless offering of enhanced services to the participants in the trial phase

The trial demonstrates the commitment Telecom Namibia has to being a leader in broadband and providing the best and fastest IP and value added services to its numerous stakeholders including consumers, government and the private industries. The company has been investing heavily into fibre technology as backhaul to its powerful digital backbone infrastructure.

“FTTH, which is synonymous with high-speed broadband, is essential for economic growth, which is why we want Namibia to have the best broadband to enhance the competitiveness of local businesses and efficiency of public institutions,” said Isak ǂOuseb, Acting Head of Marketing at Telecom Namibia.

ǂOuseb said the FTTH project supports the wider Namibia’s Vision 2030, which seeks to build a knowledge-based society by the year 2030.

“High speed broadband service will enable Telecom Namibia to strengthen its position in the market. However, the overriding goal is to ensure that Namibians have access to very fast broadband as soon, as cost-effectively and as affordably as possible,” he said.

“Consumers want to be connected all the times to social networks, the Internet and their favourable apps. They also want value added services like video-on-demand, surveillance, online gaming (cloud-based), e-governance and e-education. These are very basic expectations which service providers like Telecom Namibia need to deliver on. Investing now in high-speed broadband means that Telecom Namibia will be able to deal with the escalating data demands of today and tomorrow,” he said.

ǂOuseb said that Telecom Namibia is now set and ready to begin the commercial roll-out of the service to selected areas by September this year. Telecom Namibia will be the first and only company to bring this advanced technology to residential and business customers, for the best-ever Internet experience in Namibia, he added.

Telecom Namibia today announced that it has extended its 3G EVDO mobile service to Katima Mulilo, Oshikango, Ondangwa, Okahandja, Henties Bay and the Long beach near Swakopmund.

The service became available since 9 November this year.

According to the Senior Manager of Mobile Networks Samuel Duncan, the newly installed 3G-EVDO network infrastructure will bring faster and even more reliable data services to these towns and localities.

The extension of the 3G-EVDO network to Katima Mulilo, Oshikango, Ondangwa, Okahandja, Henties Bay and the Long beach will enable Telecom Namibia customers, living, working or traveling across these towns and areas, to experience faster 3G data service.

New 3G-EVDO base stations are currently being installed in Windhoek to complement the existing 11 base stations in the capital city. These will be in Khomasdal, Avis, Katutura, Kleine Kuppe, Pioneers Park and Otjomuise.

The 3G-EVDO service is currently available in Windhoek, Oshakati, Ongwediva, Swakopmund, Walvis Bay, Oranjemund, Rosh Pinah, Tsumeb, Rundu, Otjiwarongo, Grootfontein, Luderitz, Keetmanshoop, Aussenkehr, Gobabis, Mariental and Rehoboth and Scorpion Mine.

"A robust and reliable network is at the heart of everything we do at Telecom Namibia and we are dedicated to ensuring our customers in each and every region of the country feel the benefit of this," Duncan said.

He said the combination of the company`s recent CDMA network improvements, upgrade and the latest deployments give its customers access to some of the most advanced wireless voice and data services in the country.

The company`s mobile broadband service is available to individuals and businesses by contacting the nearest Teleshop. Customers can select from any of Telecom Namibia`s mobile broadband packages starting from the lowest package of N$289 a month or subscribe for the unlimited premium plan for only N$999 a month.

Namibia is currently faced with new challenges in developing the next generation of scientists and engineers who can take the country on a new journey of national development, says the Deputy Minister of Education Dr Becky Ndjoze-Ojo at a media conference in Windhoek recently.

Dr Ndjoze-Ojo, who received a donation of a Telecom Educational Model constructed at a cost of N$70 000 by Telecom Namibia on Friday, said her ministry has embarked on a vigorous programme to create public awareness on the importance of science and technology in realising the country`s developmental goals.

"Research, science, technology and innovation are key to Namibia`s future economic growth. We requested the model to help motivate school going children to take up science subjects, and create public understanding and appreciation of the importance of science and how it affects our daily lives," said the deputy Minister.

The portable model represents the complex telecommunication environment in a more simplified way to learners and adults alike to capture the full complexity of a telecommunications network. It will be used by the Ministry at educational fairs countrywide to help learners to know all about the different kinds of telecommunication networks that Telecom Namibia offers to the public.

Managing Director of Telecom Namibia Frans Ndoroma said the donation will go a long way in supporting government in providing learners quality education especially in science and technology in line with Vision 2030.

"We have no doubt that the money spent on this Telecom Educational Model will pay off handsomely for learners who will be exposed to it in future. Telecom sees this as nothing less than an opportunity to enrich our learners" said Ndoroma.

The deputy Minister said the model will further help motivate learners to take up science subjects, and create public understanding of the principles of science and innovation involved in the telecommunications industry and related careers.

"It should be noted that the promotion of science is not a government responsibility alone, but should be a partnership between government and the industry," she said.

Dr Ndjoze-Ojo urged other companies to emulate Telecom Namibia`s example by coming up with initiatives that could contribute to training more Namibians and thereby build relevant skills required by industry.