CRAN hosts public hearing on quality-of-service
On 14 November 2024, the Communications Regulatory Authority of Namibia (CRAN) held a public hearing in Windhoek to discuss the Quality of Service (QoS) standards for telecommunications and broadcasting services and the Spectrum Assignment Strategy for 2025-2027.CRAN’s CEO, Emilia Nghikembua, stressed the need to update QoS standards to ensure services meet consumer and business expectations across Namibia. The proposed QoS regulations focus on measurable quality indicators, like call completion rates and network availability, to enhance accountability and transparency. These standards are designed to promote fair competition, improve customer satisfaction, and reduce service quality disparities, especially in rural areas, encouraging investment and innovation in the sector.
For broadcasting, the updated QoS regulations aim to improve service reliability, content quality, consumer rights, and accessibility, including for people with disabilities. CRAN intends to enforce compliance rigorously to ensure transparency and fairness among broadcasters. Nghikembua noted the hearing's value in gathering input from service providers and consumer advocates, helping CRAN to shape responsive, fair policies for the sector.
CRAN also presented its Spectrum Assignment Strategy for 2025-2027, emphasizing the spectrum’s role in driving innovation and connectivity in Namibia. Nghikembua highlighted CRAN’s commitment to efficient spectrum management in line with national goals like Vision 2030 and the National Development Plans (NDP). The strategy prioritizes factors like innovation, equitable access, regulatory adaptability, and environmental sustainability to support technologies like 5G, IoT, and AI, essential for Namibia’s growth as a knowledge-based economy.
CRAN plans to review spectrum fee regulations in 2026, introducing fees for mobile service spectrum bands as per the World Radio Communication Conference 2023 (WRC-23), ensuring financial sustainability. Nghikembua called on stakeholders to collaborate on the strategy’s development, stating that a competitive, inclusive digital economy would benefit all Namibians.
CRAN remains committed to ongoing stakeholder engagement to align the QoS regulations and Spectrum Assignment Strategy with industry and public needs, promoting accessibility, accountability, and sustainability in Namibia’s digital landscape.