The total number of active subscriber identification module (SIM) cards has increased by 4%, rising from 2.674 million in the third quarter to 2.788 million in the fourth quarter of 2025.
This was revealed by the Communications Regulatory Authority of Namibia (Cran) in its quarterly statistics bulletin for the October-December 2025 period.
Cran spokesperson Mufaro Nesongano says the growth was largely driven by prepaid subscriptions, which rose by 5%.
The proportion of SIM cards used for internet access remained stable at 62%, suggesting that internet adoption is expanding in line with the growth in mobile subscriptions.
Postpaid subscriptions recorded a marginal increase of 1%, indicating continued consumer preference for prepaid mobile services.
Nesongano adds that mobile broadband subscriptions grew by 4%, mainly due to increased handset-based internet usage.
Meanwhile, dongle and router-based broadband subscriptions increased by 10%, although from a low base, reflecting sustained demand for fixed wireless connectivity alternatives.
However, machine-to-machine subscriptions declined by 2%, pointing to consolidation within enterprise internet of things (deployments).
Fixed-line subscriptions also dropped by 1%, continuing a gradual decline in both residential and business segments.
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