MTC and partner conduct groundbreaking 5G trial
At an event marking a leap into the future of connectivity, Namibia witnessed its inaugural 5G technology demonstration, courtesy of MTC in collaboration with Huawei Technologies.
This groundbreaking demonstration comes on the heels of the government’s decision to lift the moratorium on 5G technology and the subsequent allocation of the 5G spectrum to telecom entities across the nation, including MTC, by the Communication Regulatory Authority of Namibia.
Minister of Information, Communications, and Technology, Emma Theofelus, graced the trial with her presence, hailing it as a pivotal moment for the country. She emphasized the paramount importance of embracing cutting-edge technology to propel national development forward.
“The significance of this trial cannot be overstated. It signifies Namibia’s dedication to leveraging technology as a cornerstone of our national development agenda. To achieve this vision, we must stay abreast of the latest advancements,” remarked Minister Theofelus.
The potential presented by 5G technology, according to Theofelus, is immense. “It is incumbent upon us to harness these opportunities fully. With 5G, we lay the groundwork for efficient e-governance, e-commerce, and e-health services, underpinned by superior and rapid connectivity.”
During the trial, the 5G network showcased remarkable speeds, clocking in at 1.4 Gigabits per second (Gbps), setting the stage for a new era of connectivity in Namibia.
Licky Erastus, Managing Director of MTC, expressed pride in the successful trial of the 5G network connectivity. He outlined that while the trial was a significant milestone, the full-scale implementation, commercialization, and market rollout are yet to come.
Echoing this sentiment, Michael Zhang, Managing Director of Huawei Namibia, affirmed Huawei’s commitment to collaborating with MTC to deploy state-of-the-art technologies for swift and high-quality 5G deployments.
“We firmly believe that 5G will catalyze for social, digital, and economic advancement,” Zhang asserted.
The partnership between MTC and Huawei has been instrumental in ushering in previous generations of telecommunications technologies in Namibia.
Notable achievements include the introduction of Namibia’s first 4G network in 2012 and the trial of Africa’s inaugural 4.5G network in 2016. In 2017, the ‘081every1’ initiative, a collaborative effort between MTC and Huawei, aimed to achieve 100% population coverage in Namibia, further solidifying their commitment to bridging the digital divide.
