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Faster high-speed network lands at the coast

Faster high-speed network lands at the coast

Telecom Namibia announced the completion of the first phase of a time-division duplex long-term evolution (TD-LTE) high-speed wireless network rollout with China’s global provider of TD-LTE broadband solutions Huawei Technologies.

Managing Director Theo Klein said Huawei’s end-to-end 4G solution has been deployed at the coastal towns, where the rollout began, as part of the first phase. This will modernise the enterprise network and enable data speeds that support media streaming and high-bandwidth business applications

As a leading supplier of voice, text, data and video solutions in the country, Telecom Namibia first deployed a nationwide WiMAX 802.16d network in 2007. To meet growing business customers’ demand for higher throughput, the company has committed to a fixed network technology upgrade that offers a transition path to LTE.

The new technology has a user self-provisioning, also known as self-service capability to speed up service provisioning to customers and reduce the service backlog currently being experienced by Telecom Namibia.

“Our strategy is to provide internet access to the whole country in keeping with the Harambee broadband access targets. Telecom Namibia is focused on expanding, upgrading and modernising its fixed wireless broadband network infrastructure throughout Namibia,” Klein said.

The sites with active TD-LTE equipment at the coast are Henties Bay, Swakopmund and Walvis Bay, including Langstrand.

Klein said Telecom Namibia is working on launching similar networks in other areas throughout the country. “We plan to progressively roll out TD-LTE base stations to other areas in the near future. We believe that TD-LTE services will contribute to Government’s vision of broadband development and building Namibia’s digital economy,” he said.

“The TD-LTE network deployment is aimed at raising broadband in addition to offering advanced voice services,” the Telecom chief said.

Huawei’s 4G solution for a commercial broadband network enables Telecom Namibia to develop and provide new product offerings capacity for a growing base of small enterprises, small office/home office (SOHO) and residential users.

Telecom Namibia plans to replace the existing WiMAX FDD base stations with TD-LTE base stations in high density urban areas to bring enhanced connectivity to customers. The recovered WiMAX FDD base stations will be redeployed in areas with no existing broadband access infrastructure.

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