Unam students left offline and ‘desperate’

Students at the University of Namibia (Unam) say their access to Wi-Fi on campus has been unreliable for almost two weeks.

A student, who spoke on condition of anonymity, yesterday said the main campus’ hostel blocks and main library have been the most affected areas.

“The ongoing crisis has pushed many students to desperate measures, highlighting a significant failure in campus infrastructure. More distressingly, there is a concerning silence from the hostel management and Unam staff responsible for Wi-Fi connectivity,” the student said.

He said students have been forced seek alternatives such as seeking online access at other institutions of higher learning, such as the Namibia University of Science and Technology (Nust).

“I had to skip a test I was supposed to write online, because I had no Wi-Fi or data. This has affected our assignments and studies,” the student said.

Wi-Fi service across Unam has been intermittently non-functional or entirely offline since 14 August, he said.

“This isn’t a minor inconvenience; it’s a fundamental breakdown of a service essential for modern university education.

“What makes this situation even more frustrating is that these same issues have been recurring since last semester and continue to persist, demonstrating a chronic problem that remains unaddressed,” the student said.

He said the Wi-Fi briefly resumed functioning on 19 August, offering a glimmer of hope, but the relief was short-lived as it stopped working again shortly thereafter.

The student said Wi-Fi access is included in their accommodation fees.

“The consistent failure to provide a functioning internet service means we are not receiving the value for money we are entitled to. This situation is not only academically detrimental, but also financially unfair,” he said.

He said there has been a lack of communication from those responsible for providing these services.

Unam spokesperson Simon Namesho yesterday confirmed two recent separate interruptions in access to the Wi-Fi service.

He said there was a national Telecom Namibia internet interruption from 14 to 17 August, affecting all Unam campuses.

This was beyond the university’s control, and the issue was fully resolved on 17 August, Namesho said.

He said a separate and localised incident occurred on 20 August at the girls’ hostel.

A contractor working in the main campus dining hall accidentally caused a short circuit affecting power supply to the hostel blocks, he said.

“Our information and communication technology services department has been in continuous communication with student leaders and the housing committee to update them on the situation and measures taken.

“We encourage students to make full use of these communication channels and to bring to the university’s attention any concerns affecting their well-being,” Namesho said.

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