WINDHOEK – China’s largest telecommunication company, Huawei, has now established itself comfortably in the local market, having secured supply and technological support service contracts with both the Namibian fixed line operator, Telecom Namibia, and mobile network operator MTC. Huawei has also partnered with the public broadcaster, the Namibian Broadcasting Corporation (NBC), on the Digital Television Project.
“In partnership with the local operators, Huawei is serving 2 million Namibians with voice communication, Internet access and digital television programmes using hundreds of radio base stations and thousands of kilometres fiber connectivity all over the country. Huawei has contributed more than N$100 million in tax and N$ 120 million in local procurement since our business started in Namibia in 2005,” said Yang Zhongbo, the Vice President for Huawei Eastern and Southern Africa.
Zhongbo, together with Huawei Namibia Managing Director, Wallace Yin, had the Huawei demo truck road show themed “Create a better connected world”, during Telecom’s annual two day ICT summit in Windhoek that ended yesterday.
“I am humbled by the gesture that Huawei is taking a step towards advancing the ICT knowledge society through Public Private Partnership with the Namibian Government,” said Minister of Information Communication and Technology, Joel Kaapanda.
He said these meaningful partnerships represent the way in which our government tackles the challenges that are facing our country and our citizens.
“Such tangible support from the private sector, is keeping with the government’s policy of the use of ICT in Government, and thus we require more support from the private sector,” he said adding that the ICT industry worldwide is developing at an amazing rate, as it changes the way people live and enriches life by bridging generations, creating diverse communities, igniting ideas and tearing down communication barriers.
The summit attracted experts from various countries and it is being organised by Telecom Namibia in partnership with the Ministry of Information and Communication Technology under the theme “ICT for Development”.