Labour union defends Telecom’s Switch

RESTRICTING Telecom Namibia’s new Switch service will deprive thousands of Namibians of the only mobile phone service they can afford, says the National Union of Namibian Workers (NUNW).

At the beginning of this month, Cabinet ordered that the Switch communication radius should be reduced to 60 kilometres, meaning that it can’t be used for anything but local calls. “Telecom’s service was 50 per cent cheaper than the ones of MTC and Cell-One,” NUNW President Alpheus Muheua told journalists in Windhoek on Tuesday.He said the introduction of Switch had been applauded by many Namibians.”We have learned with shock and disappointment about the recent Cabinet decision restricting the operation of Telecom’s Switch project,” he said.Muheua said although Switch was introduced only recently, it already had more than 17 000 customers countrywide.Flanked by NUNW Secretary General Evilastus Kaaronda and the General Secretary of the Namibia Transport and Allied Workers Union, John Kwedhi, Muheua said Switch is targeting a certain niche market – those who cannot afford MTC and Cell One services.”Our research showed that Switch service was more than 50 per cent cheaper than those of MTC and Cell One,” he said.The NUNW President said they fear that the decision to restrict the Switch mobile service could adversely affect Telecom as a going concern and might even lead to job cuts.”It is very obvious from this Cabinet decision that there is a huge ideological confusion and disorientation in that the same Government that owns 100 per cent took a decision which potentially threatens the continued prosperity of its own company only to secure the survival of its other partially owned company,” said Muheua.The country’s first cellphone operator, MTC, was against Telecom’s entrance into the wireless mobile phone business.MTC wants Telecom to remain a fixed-line operator.”Handing over between cells is the licensed domain of the two mobile operators in Namibia, for which we have paid licence fees,” MTC said recently.The new cellphone provider, Cell One, is also against the introduction of Switch and called the new service unfair competition in the mobile telecommunication market.Telecom’s Switch was launched in September last year.”Telecom’s service was 50 per cent cheaper than the ones of MTC and Cell-One,” NUNW President Alpheus Muheua told journalists in Windhoek on Tuesday.He said the introduction of Switch had been applauded by many Namibians.”We have learned with shock and disappointment about the recent Cabinet decision restricting the operation of Telecom’s Switch project,” he said.Muheua said although Switch was introduced only recently, it already had more than 17 000 customers countrywide.Flanked by NUNW Secretary General Evilastus Kaaronda and the General Secretary of the Namibia Transport and Allied Workers Union, John Kwedhi, Muheua said Switch is targeting a certain niche market – those who cannot afford MTC and Cell One services.”Our research showed that Switch service was more than 50 per cent cheaper than those of MTC and Cell One,” he said.The NUNW President said they fear that the decision to restrict the Switch mobile service could adversely affect Telecom as a going concern and might even lead to job cuts.”It is very obvious from this Cabinet decision that there is a huge ideological confusion and disorientation in that the same Government that owns 100 per cent took a decision which potentially threatens the continued prosperity of its own company only to secure the survival of its other partially owned company,” said Muheua.The country’s first cellphone operator, MTC, was against Telecom’s entrance into the wireless mobile phone business.MTC wants Telecom to remain a fixed-line operator.”Handing over between cells is the licensed domain of the two mobile operators in Namibia, for which we have paid licence fees,” MTC said recently.The new cellphone provider, Cell One, is also against the introduction of Switch and called the new service unfair competition in the mobile telecommunication market.Telecom’s Switch was launched in September last year.