Cellular competition finally here

NAMIBIA wants to see more investment in the communication sector to ensure the country does not lag behind in the fast pace of evolution in the digital age, Minister of Information and Broadcasting Netumbo Nandi-Ndaitwah has said.

Speaking at the official launch of the country’s second mobile phone company, Cell One, Nandi-Ndaitwah said training in Information Communication Technology and infrastructure development were essential to the growth of Namibia, and called for competition between the existing two mobile phone companies. “The Government wants to see true competition and that is why Cabinet has directed the Ministry of Information and Broadcasting to monitor the service rendered in the communication sector.There must be a clear pricing regime that translates into value for money on the part of the end user,” she said.Cell One entered the market this week and is currently available only in Windhoek, but CEO Mac Allman said the company is working on expanding its coverage “in some areas” in the North by the end of next month, and to the coast by end of the second quarter of 2007.The company will offer a choice to Namibians, and will rival the country’s pioneering mobile phone company MTC, which has had a monopoly on the local market for over a decade.Said Nandi-Ndaitwah: “The coming into operation of Cell One has given many people, especially the rural dwellers high expectations, and this is a challenge to the company to speed up its rollout programme.”Unlike some established cellular phone firms, with Cell One customers do not pay a start-up cost and charges are based on ‘per-second billing’.Cell One numbers are identifiable by ‘085’ at the beginning of a 10-digit number.The company currently employs 106 workers, with women making up 43 per cent of the staff.”The Government wants to see true competition and that is why Cabinet has directed the Ministry of Information and Broadcasting to monitor the service rendered in the communication sector.There must be a clear pricing regime that translates into value for money on the part of the end user,” she said.Cell One entered the market this week and is currently available only in Windhoek, but CEO Mac Allman said the company is working on expanding its coverage “in some areas” in the North by the end of next month, and to the coast by end of the second quarter of 2007.The company will offer a choice to Namibians, and will rival the country’s pioneering mobile phone company MTC, which has had a monopoly on the local market for over a decade.Said Nandi-Ndaitwah: “The coming into operation of Cell One has given many people, especially the rural dwellers high expectations, and this is a challenge to the company to speed up its rollout programme.”Unlike some established cellular phone firms, with Cell One customers do not pay a start-up cost and charges are based on ‘per-second billing’.Cell One numbers are identifiable by ‘085’ at the beginning of a 10-digit number.The company currently employs 106 workers, with women making up 43 per cent of the staff.